Nonstop flight route between Tonopah, Nevada, United States and Butaritari Atoll, Kiribati:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from XSD to BBG:
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- About this route
- XSD Airport Information
- BBG Airport Information
- Facts about XSD
- Facts about BBG
- Map of Nearest Airports to XSD
- List of Nearest Airports to XSD
- Map of Furthest Airports from XSD
- List of Furthest Airports from XSD
- Map of Nearest Airports to BBG
- List of Nearest Airports to BBG
- Map of Furthest Airports from BBG
- List of Furthest Airports from BBG
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD), Tonopah, Nevada, United States and Butaritari Atoll Airport (BBG), Butaritari Atoll, Kiribati would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,022 miles (or 8,083 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 Tonopah Test Range Airport and Butaritari Atoll 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 Tonopah Test Range Airport and Butaritari Atoll Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | XSD / KTNX |
Airport Name: | Tonopah Test Range Airport |
Location: | Tonopah, Nevada, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°47'40"N by 116°46'42"W |
View all routes: | Routes from XSD |
More Information: | XSD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BBG / NGTU |
Airport Name: | Butaritari Atoll Airport |
Location: | Butaritari Atoll, Kiribati |
GPS Coordinates: | 3°5'11"N by 172°48'41"E |
Elevation: | 5 feet (2 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BBG |
More Information: | BBG Maps & Info |
Facts about Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD):
- In 2006, the Constant Peg program was declassified and the USAF held a series of press conferences about the former top secret US MiGs.
- The Tonopah Range Airport first opened in 1957, supporting operations on the Test Range itself, which was used for United States Atomic Energy Commission ) funded weapon programs.
- The closest airport to Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD) is Tonopah Airport (TPH), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) NW of XSD.
- Foreign military sales of United States fighter aircraft to Indonesia and Egypt in the mid-1970s to replace the Soviet fighter aircraft allowed these nations to clandestinely transfer un-needed MiG-21 ultra modern MiG-23s aircraft to the United States for evaluation.
- The furthest airport from Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,207 miles (18,036 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- In July 1975, the 4477th Tactical Evaluation Flight was formed at Nellis AFB as tactical evaluation organization.
- None of the Soviet-designed aircraft at Tonopah flew in bad weather or at night.
- On 17 May 1982, the move of the 4450th TG from Groom Lake to Tonopah was initiated, with the final components of the move completed in early 1983.
Facts about Butaritari Atoll Airport (BBG):
- The Americans pulled out at the end of 1944, abandoning the airfield.
- The closest airport to Butaritari Atoll Airport (BBG) is Marakei Airport (MZK), which is located 78 miles (126 kilometers) SSE of BBG.
- The furthest airport from Butaritari Atoll Airport (BBG) is Cape Palmas Airport (CPA), which is located 11,920 miles (19,183 kilometers) away in Cape Palmas, Liberia.
- The airfield was the base of operations for the United States Army Air Forces Seventh Air Force 41st Bombardment Group which flew four squadrons of B-25 Mitchell medium bombers.
- Butaritari Atoll Airport (BBG) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Butaritari Atoll Airport's relatively low elevation of 5 feet, planes can take off or land at Butaritari Atoll 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.