Nonstop flight route between Big Rapids, Michigan, United States and Whangarei, New Zealand:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Roben-Hood Airport (WBR), Big Rapids, Michigan, United States and Whangarei Airport (WRE), Whangarei, New Zealand would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,324 miles (or 13,396 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 Whangarei 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 Whangarei 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):

• In the spring and summer of 1940, “air minded citizens” of the area pursued improvements to the airport, but were told by the City that monies were not available.
• The closest airport to Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) is Nartron Field (RCT), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) N of WBR.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Roben-Hood Airport", another name for WBR is "RQB".
• 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.
• In the months following the dedication there appears to be a renewed interest n obtaining a larger parcel of land for the airport, spearheaded by the Rotary Club, American Legion, Exchange Club, and the Big Rapids Board of Trade.
• In 1940, some woods were removed on the northwest portion that allowed an increase of 400 feet to the “EIW” runway to 2400 feet.
• As the 20th Century came to an end, several significant events occurred which destined Roben Hood Airport to grow in a negative fashion.
• 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”.
• On July 2, 1930, it was reported that a landing field had been purchased 2 weeks before due to “efforts by the American Legion”.

Facts about Whangarei Airport (WRE):

• In 2007, Sunair begun daily air services between Whangarei, Tauranga, Rotorua and Napier.
• Ansett went into liquidation in 2001, and this resulted in Air New Zealand's subsidary Eagle Airways being the only major airline operating out of the airport.
• The furthest airport from Whangarei Airport (WRE) is Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport (TNG), which is nearly antipodal to Whangarei Airport (meaning Whangarei Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport), and is located 12,421 miles (19,989 kilometers) away in Tangier, Morocco.
• Whangarei Airport (WRE) has 2 runways.
• Whangarei has several scheduled flight destinations, the furthest away being Wellington at 626 km.
• Because of Whangarei Airport's relatively low elevation of 133 feet, planes can take off or land at Whangarei 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 1990s saw the introduction of a new airline, Ansett New Zealand, as competition to Air New Zealand.
• The change in aircraft type restored capacity to 136,656 seats available on Air New Zealand per year.
• On 22 November 2005, a PAC Fletcher top dressing plane en route to Whangarei Airport crashed 5km west of Whangarei in the Pukenui Forest due to loss of the vertical stabiliser.
• The closest airport to Whangarei Airport (WRE) is Dargaville Aerodrome (DGR), which is located 29 miles (47 kilometers) WSW of WRE.