Nonstop flight route between Big Rapids, Michigan, United States and Jijiga, Ethiopia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Roben-Hood Airport (WBR), Big Rapids, Michigan, United States and Wilwal International Airport (JIJ), Jijiga, Ethiopia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,554 miles (or 12,157 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 Roben-Hood Airport and Wilwal 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 Roben-Hood Airport and Wilwal 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 Roben-Hood Airport (WBR):

• Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) has 2 runways.
• Because of Roben-Hood Airport's relatively low elevation of 990 feet, planes can take off or land at Roben-Hood 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 Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) is Nartron Field (RCT), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) N of WBR.
• On Sunday, July 27, 20 planes were entered in several entertaining events including speed races before an estimated crowd of 7500!
• In mid 1941, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was still considering the airport as an “auxiliary field” according to Earl Bender, airport manager.
• In addition to being known as "Roben-Hood Airport", another name for WBR is "RQB".
• The furthest airport from Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,143 miles (17,933 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Four months later in October, the paper reported “Big Rapids Air Line starts December 15.” Jack Byrne of the Furniture Capital Air Service of Grand Rapids planned to stop at Big Rapids on his Grand Rapids to Harbor Springs route, “providing a suitable landing field is purchased and placed in shape”.

Facts about Wilwal International Airport (JIJ):

• By the 1990s, the Garaad Wiil-Waal Airport was one of 10 bases of the Ethiopian Air Force.
• The closest airport to Wilwal International Airport (JIJ) is Borama Airport (BXX), which is located 46 miles (73 kilometers) NNE of JIJ.
• The furthest airport from Wilwal International Airport (JIJ) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Wilwal International Airport (meaning Wilwal International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,302 miles (19,799 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Because of Wilwal International Airport's high elevation of 5,413 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at JIJ. Combined with a high temperature, this could make JIJ a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Wilwal International Airport (JIJ) currently has only 1 runway.