Nonstop flight route between Aitape, Papua New Guinea and Edwards, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tadji Airport (TAJ), Aitape, Papua New Guinea and Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,894 miles (or 11,094 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Tadji Airport and Edwards Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Tadji Airport and Edwards Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Tadji Airport (TAJ):

• The furthest airport from Tadji Airport (TAJ) is Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (FOR), which is located 11,950 miles (19,232 kilometers) away in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
• Because of Tadji Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Tadji Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• Tadji Airport (TAJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Tadji Airport (TAJ) is Frieda River Airport (FAQ), which is located 103 miles (165 kilometers) SSW of TAJ.

Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• On the afternoon of 7 December 1941, the 41st Bombardment Group and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron moved to Muroc from Davis-Monthan Army Airfield, Arizona with a collection of B-18 Bolos, an A-29 Hudson and B-25 Mitchells.
• Notable occurrences at Edwards include Chuck Yeager's flight that broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, test flights of the North American X-15, the first landings of the Space Shuttle, and the 1986 around-the-world flight of the Rutan Voyager.
• The base has played a significant role in the development of virtually every aircraft to enter the Air Force inventory since World War II.
• As a military airbase, civilian access is severely restricted, but is possible with prior coordination and good reason.
• The closest airport to Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NW of EDW.
• Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation in southern California, located approximately 22 miles northeast of Lancaster.
• The initial use for Muroc was IV Bomber Command Operational Unit training.
• A major reason for the growth of Edwards AFB was the nearness of West Coast aircraft manufacturers.
• Edwards is also home to several other units from DOD, Air Force, Army, Navy, FAA, USPS and many companies that support the primary mission or the personnel stationed there.
• Aircraft testing continued at this desert "Army Air Base", then on 8 November 1943, the base title was changed to "Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc".
• The furthest airport from Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,414 miles (18,369 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.