Nonstop flight route between Willows, California, United States and High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW), Willows, California, United States and RAF High Wycombe (HYC), High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,219 miles (or 8,398 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 Willows-Glenn County Airport and RAF High Wycombe, 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 Willows-Glenn County Airport and RAF High Wycombe. 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 Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW):

• Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW) has 2 runways.
• Because of Willows-Glenn County Airport's relatively low elevation of 141 feet, planes can take off or land at Willows-Glenn County 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 furthest airport from Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,255 miles (18,114 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW) is Chico Municipal Airport (CIC), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) NE of WLW.
• For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2011, the airport had 29,500 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 80 per day.
• The War Department acquired 318.2 acres by a lease with Glenn County, California, in 1942.

Facts about RAF High Wycombe (HYC):

• The closest airport to RAF High Wycombe (HYC) is RAF Benson (BEX), which is located only 13 miles (22 kilometers) WSW of HYC.
• The furthest airport from RAF High Wycombe (HYC) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,867 miles (19,098 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• Operationally during the Cold War the Director UKWMO would have been located at the United Kingdom Regional Air Operations Command within Strike Command's Operations Centre nuclear bunker at RAF High Wycombe to instigate the national Four minute air raid warnings, with the Deputy Director located at a standby UK RAOC, described at the time as being "elsewhere in the UK", but has since been revealed as being at Goosnargh near Preston within the UKWMO Western Sector nuclear bunker.
• To preserve secrecy, the station was known as "Southdown" in March 1940, as part of a directive by the Air Ministry.
• The location of the station was originally suggested by Wing Commander Alan Oakeshott when the Air Ministry was seeking a new, secure, site for Bomber Command away from London.
• Since 2009, the station has been responsible for reviewing UFO sightings as part of efforts to identify any possible unauthorised military incursions into UK airspace.