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PWAK → PMDYOpen in the mapper
ROUTE DISTANCE

Wake Island to Sand IslandPWAK → PMDY

Wake Island Airfield (PWAK / AWK) in Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands to Henderson Field (PMDY / MDY) in Sand 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 056°. 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

NAUTICAL MILES
1,027
KILOMETRES
1,902
STATUTE MILES
1,182
INITIAL BEARING
056°
BLOCK TIME
2h 35m
M0.85 · FL410 · still air

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.

G650ER7,300 nm usable · 14%clears
G5506,550 nm usable · 16%clears
Global 75007,500 nm usable · 14%clears
Falcon 8X6,250 nm usable · 16%clears
Falcon 7X5,750 nm usable · 18%clears
Challenger 3503,000 nm usable · 34%clears
A350-9008,250 nm usable · 12%clears
B777-300ER7,120 nm usable · 14%clears
A320neo3,150 nm usable · 33%clears
A3203,150 nm usable · 33%clears
B737 MAX 83,250 nm usable · 32%clears
B737-8002,850 nm usable · 36%clears
An-1242,950 nm usable · 35%clears
Concorde3,650 nm usable · 28%clears
King Air 2001,400 nm usable · 73%clears
ATR 721,300 nm usable · 79%clears
Dash 8 Q4001,100 nm usable · 93%clears

Wind, month by month

The same business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410, in each month’s average upper wind. PWAK to PMDY is quickest in January (2h 25m) and slowest in May (2h 35m); PMDY to PWAK is quickest in June (2h 35m) and slowest in January (2h 50m). The wind column is the average along-track component: plus is a tailwind.

MONTHPWAK → PMDYWINDPMDY → PWAKWIND
January2h 25m+48 kt2h 50m−53 kt
February2h 25m+48 kt2h 50m−53 kt
March2h 25m+39 kt2h 50m−43 kt
April2h 30m+27 kt2h 45m−29 kt
May2h 35m+13 kt2h 40m−14 kt
June2h 35m−2 kt2h 35m+2 kt
July2h 35mcalm2h 35mcalm
August2h 35m+5 kt2h 40m−5 kt
September2h 35m−2 kt2h 35m+2 kt
October2h 35m−1 kt2h 35mcalm
November2h 35m+13 kt2h 40m−15 kt
December2h 30m+27 kt2h 45m−30 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, Hagåtña (PGUM), 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 POINTBETWEENTO EACH
22.7°N 172.3°EHagåtña (PGUM) and Honolulu, Oahu (PHNL)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

PWAK / AWK
Wake Island Airfield
Wake Island, Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands19.2824, 166.63664 m · 14 ft elevationlongest runway 10/28 · 3,000 m
PMDY / MDY
Henderson Field
Sand Island, Midway Atoll, United States Minor Outlying Islands28.2017, -177.38104 m · 13 ft elevationlongest runway 06/24 · 2,409 m

Questions people ask about this route

How far is it from Wake Island (PWAK) to Sand Island (PMDY)?

1,027 nautical miles. That is 1,902 kilometres or 1,182 statute miles, measured as a great circle between Wake Island Airfield and Henderson Field.

How long is the flight from Wake Island to Sand 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 Wake Island and Sand Island?

In the average upper wind, Wake Island to Sand Island at Mach 0.85 runs from 2h 25m in January to 2h 35m in May, and the return from 2h 35m in June to 2h 50m in January. 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 Wake Island (PWAK) to Sand Island (PMDY)?

056° 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 Wake Island to Sand 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.

Check it against your own aircraft
Open the route in the mapper to set cruise, flight level and reserve, edit the schedule, and add legs.
Open PWAK → PMDY
NEARBY ROUTES

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