Nonstop flight route between Timaru, New Zealand and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU), Timaru, New Zealand and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,819 miles (or 12,583 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 Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) and Sheppard 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 Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) and Sheppard 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 Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU):

• Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) has 3 runways.
• Because of Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport)'s relatively low elevation of 89 feet, planes can take off or land at Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru 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.
• The furthest airport from Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) is A Coruña Airport (LCG), which is nearly antipodal to Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (meaning Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from A Coruña Airport), and is located 12,365 miles (19,899 kilometers) away in A Coruña, Spain.
• The closest airport to Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) is Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG), which is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) NE of TIU.

Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):

• The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Additionally, officers from all 13 participating nations fill subordinate leadership positions throughout the wing.
• The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
• The host unit at Sheppard is the 82d Training Wing, which provides specialized technical training, medical, and field training for officers, Airmen, and civilians of all branches of the military, other DoD agencies, and foreign nationals.
• It was officially opened as an Army Air Corps training center on 17 October 1941, following the arrival of the first military members on 14 June.
• The 80th Flying Training Wing, also at Sheppard, conducts the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program, a multi-nationally manned and managed flying training program chartered to produce combat pilots for both USAF and NATO.
• The host unit on Sheppard Air Force Base is the 82nd Training Wing whose mission makes it the most diversified training base within the Air Education and Training Command.
• Comptroller, transportation, and intelligence training moved to Sheppard from Lowry AFB, Colorado, in the fall of 1954.
• During World War II, then-Sheppard Field conducted basic training, and it also trained glider mechanics, technical and flying training instructors and B-29 Superfortress flight engineers.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• The 3630th Flying Training Wing was activated in 1965, and it assumed the helicopter training program.