Nonstop flight route between Pama, Burkina Faso and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Pama Airport (XPA), Pama, Burkina Faso and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,443 miles (or 11,979 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 Pama Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Pama Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Pama Airport (XPA):

• Pama Airport (XPA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Pama Airport (XPA) is Arly Airport (ARL), which is located 58 miles (93 kilometers) ENE of XPA.
• Because of Pama Airport's relatively low elevation of 699 feet, planes can take off or land at Pama 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 addition to being known as "Pama Airport", another name for XPA is "Pama Airport (Pama)".
• The furthest airport from Pama Airport (XPA) is Funafuti International Airport (FUN), which is nearly antipodal to Pama Airport (meaning Pama Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Funafuti International Airport), and is located 12,222 miles (19,670 kilometers) away in Funafuti, Tuvalu.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The original Allan Hancock Field was established in 1927 at another location, between Jones Street to the north, Stowell Road to the south, Bradley Road to the east and Miller Street to the west.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.
• Santa Maria Public Airport is three miles south of Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, California.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• After the war Santa Barbara County and the city of Santa Maria acquired the land and facilities through two grants in 1948.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.