Nonstop flight route between Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from YQX to SPS:
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- About this route
- YQX Airport Information
- SPS Airport Information
- Facts about YQX
- Facts about SPS
- Map of Nearest Airports to YQX
- List of Nearest Airports to YQX
- Map of Furthest Airports from YQX
- List of Furthest Airports from YQX
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPS
- List of Nearest Airports to SPS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPS
- List of Furthest Airports from SPS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Gander International Airport (YQX), Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,455 miles (or 3,951 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 relatively short distance between Gander International Airport and Sheppard Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | YQX / CYQX |
| Airport Name: | Gander International Airport |
| Location: | Gander, Newfoundland, Canada |
| GPS Coordinates: | 48°56'12"N by 54°34'5"W |
| Area Served: | Gander, Newfoundland |
| Operator/Owner: | Transport Canada |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 496 feet (151 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from YQX |
| More Information: | YQX Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPS / KSPS |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Wichita Falls, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'20"N by 98°29'30"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPS |
| More Information: | SPS Maps & Info |
Facts about Gander International Airport (YQX):
- During the Cold War Gander was notable for the number of persons from the former Warsaw Pact nations who defected there.
- Construction of the airport began in 1936 and it was opened in 1938, with its first landing on January 11 of that year, by Captain Douglas Fraser flying a Fox Moth of Imperial Airways.
- The closest airport to Gander International Airport (YQX) is St. John's International Airport (YYT), which is located 124 miles (199 kilometers) SE of YQX.
- Because of Gander International Airport's relatively low elevation of 496 feet, planes can take off or land at Gander International 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.
- Gander International Airport (YQX) has 2 runways.
- The airport was the site for Canada's memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the attack, over which Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Transport Minister David Collenette, US Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci, and provincial and local officials presided.
- Following Newfoundland's entry into Confederation, the government renamed the airport Gander Airport and it came under the administration of Canada's federal Department of Transport.
- On December 12, 1985 Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashed on take-off from, the then runway 22.
- The furthest airport from Gander International Airport (YQX) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,395 miles (18,338 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):
- In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
- It was officially opened as an Army Air Corps training center on 17 October 1941, following the arrival of the first military members on 14 June.
- The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Comptroller, transportation, and intelligence training moved to Sheppard from Lowry AFB, Colorado, in the fall of 1954.
- The 80th Flying Training Wing began conducting the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program in 1981.
- The 80th FTW mission is to provide combat airpower by producing top quality fighter pilots for the NATO alliance.
- The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
