Sand Island to Wake IslandPMDY → PWAK
Henderson Field (PMDY / MDY) in Sand Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands to Wake Island Airfield (PWAK / AWK) in Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands is 1,027 nautical miles — 1,902 kilometres, or 1,182 statute miles — on the great circle, on an initial bearing of 242°. A business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410 takes about 2h 35m block time in still air.
Published by Overfly · Airport data: OurAirports, · Last updated
Can the aeroplane make it?
Range here is usable range — book range at long-range cruise, less a reserve allowance. It is the figure that decides whether the leg closes, and it is the question most mappers do not answer.
Wind, month by month
The same business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410, in each month’s average upper wind. PMDY to PWAK is quickest in June (2h 35m) and slowest in January (2h 50m); PWAK to PMDY is quickest in January (2h 25m) and slowest in May (2h 35m). The wind column is the average along-track component: plus is a tailwind.
| MONTH | PMDY → PWAK | WIND | PWAK → PMDY | WIND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2h 50m | −53 kt | 2h 25m | +48 kt |
| February | 2h 50m | −53 kt | 2h 25m | +48 kt |
| March | 2h 50m | −43 kt | 2h 25m | +39 kt |
| April | 2h 45m | −29 kt | 2h 30m | +27 kt |
| May | 2h 40m | −14 kt | 2h 35m | +13 kt |
| June | 2h 35m | +2 kt | 2h 35m | −2 kt |
| July | 2h 35m | calm | 2h 35m | calm |
| August | 2h 40m | −5 kt | 2h 35m | +5 kt |
| September | 2h 35m | +2 kt | 2h 35m | −2 kt |
| October | 2h 35m | calm | 2h 35m | −1 kt |
| November | 2h 40m | −15 kt | 2h 35m | +13 kt |
| December | 2h 45m | −30 kt | 2h 30m | +27 kt |
Monthly means for 1991–2020 from NOAA’s NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, at the pressure level nearest the cruise (about FL387), along the great circle. An average is smoother than any one day’s jet stream, so a given flight can see much more or much less; airlines also move the track to use the wind, which this does not. More in how wind changes block time.
How far from an airport?
The worst point on the great circle is 3h 51m from the nearest suitable airport, Honolulu, Oahu (PHNL), at the one-engine diversion speed Overfly uses (430 kt in still air). A twin flying this track needs ETOPS 240 approval or more: ETOPS 240 allows up to 240 minutes from an alternate.
| EQUAL-TIME POINT | BETWEEN | TO EACH |
|---|---|---|
| 22.7°N 172.3°E | Honolulu, Oahu (PHNL) and Hagåtña (PGUM) | 3h 51m |
A suitable airport here is one OurAirports classes as large with a runway of 8,000 ft or more. An operator’s real alternates also depend on weather, fire cover and approval, and its diversion speed on the type. More in equal-time points and ETOPS, explained.
The two fields
Questions people ask about this route
How far is it from Sand Island (PMDY) to Wake Island (PWAK)?
1,027 nautical miles. That is 1,902 kilometres or 1,182 statute miles, measured as a great circle between Henderson Field and Wake Island Airfield.
How long is the flight from Sand Island to Wake Island?
About 2h 35m block time for a business jet cruising at Mach 0.85 at FL410 in still air, including 30 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Wind moves that figure in either direction — eastbound across the North Atlantic or the Pacific it can be an hour or more. This page is deliberately still-air so the figure is stable and citable; to apply the month's average upper winds from NOAA, open the route in the mapper and switch on seasonal winds.
How much does wind change the flight time between Sand Island and Wake Island?
In the average upper wind, Sand Island to Wake Island at Mach 0.85 runs from 2h 35m in June to 2h 50m in January, and the return from 2h 25m in January to 2h 35m in May. Those are 1991–2020 monthly means from NOAA's reanalysis; on a given day the jet stream can make the difference larger or smaller.
What is the initial bearing from Sand Island (PMDY) to Wake Island (PWAK)?
242° true at the departure point. A great circle changes heading continuously, so this is the initial bearing, not a constant one.
Which aircraft can fly Sand Island to Wake Island non-stop?
Of the types Overfly carries, G650ER, G550, Global 7500, Falcon 8X, Falcon 7X, Challenger 350, A350-900, B777-300ER, A320neo, A320, B737 MAX 8, B737-800, An-124, Concorde, King Air 200, ATR 72, Dash 8 Q400 clear it on usable range — that is book range less a reserve allowance.
For reference and planning interest. Not for operational flight planning. Distances are great circle on a sphere from WGS-84 coordinates; block times assume still air. © 2026 Overfly.Flights