Nonstop flight route between Dole, France and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Dole - Jura Airport (DLE), Dole, France and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,218 miles (or 8,397 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 Dole - Jura Airport and Gray Army Airfield, 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 Dole - Jura Airport and Gray Army Airfield. 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 Dole - Jura Airport (DLE):

• The furthest airport from Dole - Jura Airport (DLE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Dole - Jura Airport (meaning Dole - Jura Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,195 miles (19,626 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Today, the airport's World War II history remains with the alert pads built by the Germans at each end of the main runway.
• Because of Dole - Jura Airport's relatively low elevation of 645 feet, planes can take off or land at Dole - Jura 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 airport resides at an elevation of 645 feet above mean sea level.
• Dole - Jura Airport (DLE) has 2 runways.
• The airport is used for general aviation, and for a few commercial airline services.
• The closest airport to Dole - Jura Airport (DLE) is Dijon Air Base (DIJ), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of DLE.
• In addition to being known as "Dole - Jura Airport", other names for DLE include "Aéroport de Dole - Jura" and "(Advanced Landing Ground Y-7)".

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• The 1938 construction included two paved runways, a boiler plant, headquarters building, metal balloon hangar, six-plane hangar, corrugated-iron hangar, storehouse, flight-surgeon office, and film-storage building.
• During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
• The furthest airport from Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,809 miles (17,395 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• After the Korean War, the 2d Aviation Company, of the 2d Infantry Division, which had been the first helicopter unit in Korea, returned to Fort Lewis with observation/spotter aircraft L-19 Bird Dogs, and L-20 Beavers, as well as H-23 Raven helicopters.
• The closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• The Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.
• Reactivated following service in Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division aviation units occupied GAAF in 1972.
• Because of Gray Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 300 feet, planes can take off or land at Gray Army Airfield 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.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.