Nonstop flight route between Port Vila, Vanuatu and Abilene, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bauerfield International Airport (VLI), Port Vila, Vanuatu and Dyess Air Force Base (DYS), Abilene, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,970 miles (or 11,216 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 Bauerfield International Airport and Dyess 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 Bauerfield International Airport and Dyess 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 Bauerfield International Airport (VLI):

• Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) currently has only 1 runway.
• With Japanese forces establishing bases on Guadalcanal which threatened the sea route between the U.S.
• The furthest airport from Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) is Letfotar Airport (MOM), which is nearly antipodal to Bauerfield International Airport (meaning Bauerfield International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Letfotar Airport), and is located 12,383 miles (19,928 kilometers) away in Moudjeria, Mauritania.
• The airfield was originally named Efate Field, Vila Field or McDonald Field but was later officially named Bauer Field after Lt-Col.
• In addition to being known as "Bauerfield International Airport", another name for VLI is "Port Vila International Airport".
• The closest airport to Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) is Siwo Airport (EAE), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) N of VLI.
• Because of Bauerfield International Airport's relatively low elevation of 68 feet, planes can take off or land at Bauerfield International 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.

Facts about Dyess Air Force Base (DYS):

• The furthest airport from Dyess Air Force Base (DYS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,080 miles (17,831 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Shortly after the Korean War broke out, the city of Abilene called for the need of a military installation.
• The 317th Airlift Group, an Air Mobility Command tenant unit, performs Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules airlift missions with 28 aircraft assigned.
• The closest airport to Dyess Air Force Base (DYS) is Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) E of DYS.
• In addition to being known as "Dyess Air Force Base", another name for DYS is "Dyess AFB".
• The 96th Bombardment Wing moved to Dyess on 8 September 1957 and for a few years worked alongside the 341st.
• The base is named after Lt Col William Edwin Dyess, a native of Albany, Texas, who was captured by the Japanese on Bataan in April 1942.
• In June 1985, the 96th received its first B-1B Lancer replacing the B-52 Stratofortress and in October 1986, assumed nuclear alert status.