Nonstop flight route between Yushu County, Qinghai, China and Minot, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Yushu Batang Airport (YUS), Yushu County, Qinghai, China and Minot Air Force Base (MIB), Minot, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,709 miles (or 10,797 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 Yushu Batang Airport and Minot Air Force Base, 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 Yushu Batang Airport and Minot Air Force Base. 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 Yushu Batang Airport (YUS):

• The furthest airport from Yushu Batang Airport (YUS) is Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), which is located 11,813 miles (19,012 kilometers) away in Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile.
• The closest airport to Yushu Batang Airport (YUS) is Qamdo Bamda Airport (BPX), which is located 158 miles (254 kilometers) S of YUS.
• The airport played an important role in the delivery of rescue personnel and relief supplies to the area affected by the 2010 Yushu earthquake.
• In addition to being known as "Yushu Batang Airport", other names for YUS include "玉树巴塘机场" and "Yùshù Batáng Jīchǎng".
• Because of Yushu Batang Airport's high elevation of 12,762 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at YUS. Combined with a high temperature, this could make YUS a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.

Facts about Minot Air Force Base (MIB):

• The 91st Operations Group is the operational backbone of the 91st Missile Wing, with its mission to defend the United States with safe and secure Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles – ready to immediately put bombs on target.
• The furthest airport from Minot Air Force Base (MIB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,320 miles (16,609 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• On 1 February 1963, SAC, as part of a conversion to unit designations with historical significance, activated the 450th Bombardment Wing at Minot and the 720th Bombardment Squadron, along with the formation of the 450th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron, 450th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron, 450th Field Maintenance Squadron, and the 450th Organizational Maintenance Squadron simultaneously.
• Additionally on 12 July 2008, three Air Force officers fell asleep while in control of an electronic component that contained old launch codes for nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, a violation of procedure, Air Force officials said.
• In addition to being known as "Minot Air Force Base", another name for MIB is "Minot AFB".
• The closest airport to Minot Air Force Base (MIB) is Minot International Airport (MOT), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSE of MIB.
• Strategic Air Command initially had units assigned to Minot AFB in 1958 for air refueling support.
• The 4th Post Attack Command & Control Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, SD maintained several EC-135 "Looking Glass" Aircraft on an alert at MAFB for coverage of the missile squadrons as a secondary Launch Control Center.