Nonstop flight route between Chillán, Ñuble, Chile and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI), Chillán, Ñuble, Chile and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,838 miles (or 9,395 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI):

• Because of General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport's relatively low elevation of 495 feet, planes can take off or land at General Bernardo O'Higgins 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) is Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), which is located 59 miles (94 kilometers) WSW of YAI.
• General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) is Qingyang Airport (IQN), which is nearly antipodal to General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (meaning General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Qingyang Airport), and is located 12,379 miles (19,922 kilometers) away in Qingyang, Gansu, China.

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.
• 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.
• The extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).
• A runway extension opened on May 3, 2012, from 6,304 ft.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• The first airline to serve Santa Maria was Southwest Airways operating Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft.
• During its use by the military Santa Maria AAF also controlled Estrella Army Airfield, near Paso Robles as an auxiliary airfield to support the pilot training activity.
• 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.