Nonstop flight route between Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elliot Lake Municipal Airport (YEL), Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,023 miles (or 12,912 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 Elliot Lake Municipal Airport and Buka Island 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 Elliot Lake Municipal Airport and Buka Island 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 Elliot Lake Municipal Airport (YEL):

• The furthest airport from Elliot Lake Municipal Airport (YEL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,175 miles (17,984 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airport consists of a small brick single storey terminal building.
• The closest airport to Elliot Lake Municipal Airport (YEL) is Gore Bay-Manitoulin Airport (YZE), which is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) S of YEL.
• To the west of the terminal are storage sheds and hangars for general aviation aircraft.
• Elliot Lake Municipal Airport (YEL) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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 Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.