Nonstop flight route between Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Natal, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT), Natal, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,980 miles (or 6,406 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Augusto Severo International Airport, 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Augusto Severo International Airport. 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL):

• 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.
• The schedule for sounding rocket launches from WFF is posted on its official Web site.
• On September 6, 2013, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer was launched from Wallops, atop a Minotaur V rocket.
• 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.
• Weather measurements and predictions are critical to all Research Airport operations, rocket and balloon launches, and in safely conducting hazardous operations on the ground.
• The closest airport to Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Accomack County Airport (MFV), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SW of WAL.
• There have been over 16,000 launches from the rocket testing range at Wallops since its founding in 1945 in the quest for information on the flight characteristics of airplanes, launch vehicles, and spacecraft, and to increase the knowledge of the Earth's upper atmosphere and the environment of outer space.

Facts about Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT):

• In addition to being known as "Augusto Severo International Airport", another name for NAT is "Aeroporto Internacional Augusto Severo".
• Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) has 3 runways.
• Because of Augusto Severo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 167 feet, planes can take off or land at Augusto Severo 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.
• When all commercial operations move to São Gonçalo do Amarante, Augusto Severo will continue to be used by the Natal Air Force Base.
• The closest airport to Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) is Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA), which is located 88 miles (142 kilometers) SSE of NAT.
• Augusto Severo International Airport handled 2,408,206 passengers last year.
• Some of its facilities are shared with the Natal Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force.
• The furthest airport from Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) is Falalop Airfield (ULI), which is located 11,994 miles (19,303 kilometers) away in Falalop Island, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.
• On 31 August 2009 Infraero unveiled an ambitious BRL5.3 billion investment plan to renovate and upgrade airports of ten cities focusing on the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup which will be held in Brazil.