Nonstop flight route between Utirik Island, Marshall Islands and Big Spring, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Utirik Airport (UTK), Utirik Island, Marshall Islands and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,728 miles (or 9,218 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 Utirik Airport and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield, 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 Utirik Airport and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield. 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 Utirik Airport (UTK):

• Because of Utirik Airport's relatively low elevation of 4 feet, planes can take off or land at Utirik 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 closest airport to Utirik Airport (UTK) is Ailuk Airport (AIM), which is located 70 miles (113 kilometers) S of UTK.
• In addition to being known as "Utirik Airport", another name for UTK is "03N".
• The furthest airport from Utirik Airport (UTK) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is nearly antipodal to Utirik Airport (meaning Utirik Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAF Ascension), and is located 12,070 miles (19,425 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• Utirik Airport (UTK) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS):

• The furthest airport from Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,166 miles (17,969 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The facility first was used by the United States Army Air Forces as Big Spring Army Air Field, opening on 28 April 1942 as part of the Central Flying Training Command.
• The closest airport to Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS) is Midland Airpark (MDD), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) WSW of BGS.
• In August 1972, ATC established a pilot instructor training course for Vietnamese Air Force instructors at Webb AFB, Texas.
• The facility was brought back into service as a primary training installation because of the Korean War and the need for additional pilots.
• Emblem of the AAF Bombardier School Big Spring AAF
• The airfield was activated as Big Spring Air Force Base on 1 October 1951 by the United States Air Force Air Training Command and established the 3560th Pilot Training Wing.