Nonstop flight route between Vadsø, Finnmark, Norway and Spokane, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from VDS to SKA:
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- About this route
- VDS Airport Information
- SKA Airport Information
- Facts about VDS
- Facts about SKA
- Map of Nearest Airports to VDS
- List of Nearest Airports to VDS
- Map of Furthest Airports from VDS
- List of Furthest Airports from VDS
- Map of Nearest Airports to SKA
- List of Nearest Airports to SKA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SKA
- List of Furthest Airports from SKA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Vadsø Airport (VDS), Vadsø, Finnmark, Norway and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,143 miles (or 6,668 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 Vadsø Airport and Fairchild 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 Vadsø Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | VDS / ENVD |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Vadsø, Finnmark, Norway |
GPS Coordinates: | 70°3'55"N by 29°50'40"E |
Area Served: | Vadsø |
Operator/Owner: | Avinor |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 127 feet (39 meters) |
View all routes: | Routes from VDS |
More Information: | VDS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SKA / KSKA |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Spokane, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°36'54"N by 117°39'20"W |
View all routes: | Routes from SKA |
More Information: | SKA Maps & Info |
Facts about Vadsø Airport (VDS):
- In addition to being known as "Vadsø Airport", another name for VDS is "Vadsø lufthavn".
- The furthest airport from Vadsø Airport (VDS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,407 miles (16,748 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Widerøe operated Twin Otters on the route until 1995, when the Dash 8 was introduced.
- Vadsø Airport handled 81,772 passengers last year.
- Because of Vadsø Airport's relatively low elevation of 127 feet, planes can take off or land at Vadsø 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 first seaplane route to Vadsø was started by Widerøe in 1938, which flew along the coast south to Trondheim.
- The closest airport to Vadsø Airport (VDS) is Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen (KKN), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) S of VDS.
- The airport is located at Kiby, 4 kilometers east of the town center of Vadsø.
Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):
- On 1 September 1991, under Air Force reorganization, the 92d Bombardment Wing was re-designated the 92d Wing, emphasizing a dual bombing and refueling role.
- The weapons storage area for the bombers was located south of the runway at Deep Creek Air Force Station, a separate installation constructed from 1950 to 1953 by the Atomic Energy Commission and operated by the Air Materiel Command.
- The host unit at Fairchild is the 92d Air Refueling Wing assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force.
- In June 1992, with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command, the B-52 portion of the wing became part of the newly established Air Combat Command and was re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing.
- On 20 June 1994, Dean Mellberg, an ex-Air Force member, entered the base hospital and shot and killed four people and wounded 23 others.
- In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".
- The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
- As an added incentive to the War Department, many Spokane businesses and public-minded citizens donated money to purchase land for the base.
- The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.