Nonstop flight route between Fianarantsoa, Madagascar and Edwards, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI), Fianarantsoa, Madagascar and Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 11,136 miles (or 17,921 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 Fianarantsoa Airport and Edwards 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 Fianarantsoa Airport and Edwards 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 Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI):

• The furthest airport from Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) is Santa Cruz Island Airport (SZN), which is located 11,260 miles (18,122 kilometers) away in Santa Barbara, California, United States.
• The closest airport to Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) is Mananjary Airport (MNJ), which is located 82 miles (132 kilometers) ENE of WFI.
• Because of Fianarantsoa Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Fianarantsoa 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 Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• A major reason for the growth of Edwards AFB was the nearness of West Coast aircraft manufacturers.
• The furthest airport from Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,414 miles (18,369 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Notable occurrences at Edwards include Chuck Yeager's flight that broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, test flights of the North American X-15, the first landings of the Space Shuttle, and the 1986 around-the-world flight of the Rutan Voyager.
• With the arrival of the Bell Aircraft P-59 Airacomet jet fighter, the Mojave Desert station was chosen as a secluded site for testing this super-secret airplane.
• As a military airbase, civilian access is severely restricted, but is possible with prior coordination and good reason.
• In July 1942, Muroc Army Airfield became a separate airfield from March Field and was placed under the jurisdiction of Fourth Air Force.
• The closest airport to Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NW of EDW.
• It is the home of the Air Force Test Center and is the Air Force Materiel Command center of excellence for conducting and supporting research and developmental flight test and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to combat.