Nonstop flight route between Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Mesa, Arizona, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from WAL to MSC:
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- About this route
- WAL Airport Information
- MSC Airport Information
- Facts about WAL
- Facts about MSC
- Map of Nearest Airports to WAL
- List of Nearest Airports to WAL
- Map of Furthest Airports from WAL
- List of Furthest Airports from WAL
- Map of Nearest Airports to MSC
- List of Nearest Airports to MSC
- Map of Furthest Airports from MSC
- List of Furthest Airports from MSC
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Falcon Field (MSC), Mesa, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,045 miles (or 3,291 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 relatively short distance between Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Falcon Field, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | WAL / KWAL |
| Airport Name: | Wallops Flight Facility Airport |
| Location: | Wallops Island, Virginia, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°56'24"N by 75°27'59"W |
| Elevation: | 0 feet (0 meters) |
| View all routes: | Routes from WAL |
| More Information: | WAL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MSC / KFFZ |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Mesa, Arizona, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°27'38"N by 111°43'41"W |
| Area Served: | Mesa, Arizona |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Mesa |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1394 feet (425 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MSC |
| More Information: | MSC Maps & Info |
Facts about Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL):
- In 1998, the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, later joined by Maryland, built the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops on land leased from NASA.
- Because of Wallops Flight Facility Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wallops Flight Facility 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.
- In 1945, NASA's predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, established a rocket launch site on Wallops Island under the direction of the Langley Research Center.
- The furthest airport from Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,785 miles (18,965 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Major Wallops facilities include FAA-certified runways.
- Since 2001, engineers at NASA Wallops Flight Facility have been developing new range technologies, systems and approaches to improve the cost and responsiveness of launch and flight test activities, within the constraints of available funding and program schedules.
- The closest airport to Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Accomack County Airport (MFV), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SW of WAL.
- In 1959, NASA acquired the former Naval Air Station Chincoteague, and engineering and administrative activities were moved to this location.
Facts about Falcon Field (MSC):
- The closest airport to Falcon Field (MSC) is Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of MSC.
- Falcon Field got its start before World War II when Hollywood producer Leland Hayward and pilot John H.
- The furthest airport from Falcon Field (MSC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,443 miles (18,416 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Falcon Field (MSC) has 2 runways.
- In addition to being known as "Falcon Field", other names for MSC include "Falcon Field Army Airfield" and "FFZ".
