Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Amami Island, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Amami Airport (ASJ), Amami Island, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,972 miles (or 9,611 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 Malmstrom Air Force Base and Amami 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 Malmstrom Air Force Base and Amami Airport. 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 Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• In 1957, under the control of the 801st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, the Malmstrom AFB radar station became operational with AN/FPS-20 search and AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars.
• The furthest airport from Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• Originally named Great Falls Army Air Base, later Great Falls Air Force Base, the facility was renamed Malmstrom Air Force Base on 1 October 1955 in honor of Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom.
• The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
• Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base played an important role in US defense during the Cold War era.
• The closest airport to Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Great Falls International Airport (GTF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of GFA.
• After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
• On 18 December 1953, Great Falls AFB was transferred from Military Air Transport Service to Strategic Air Command, although MATS units remained at the base for several years.

Facts about Amami Airport (ASJ):

• Because of Amami Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Amami 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 furthest airport from Amami Airport (ASJ) is Antônio Correia Pinto de Macedo Airport (LAJ), which is nearly antipodal to Amami Airport (meaning Amami Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Antônio Correia Pinto de Macedo Airport), and is located 12,392 miles (19,943 kilometers) away in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
• In addition to being known as "Amami Airport", other names for ASJ include "奄美空港" and "Amami Kūkō".
• The closest airport to Amami Airport (ASJ) is Kikai Airport (KKX), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) ESE of ASJ.
• Amami Airport (ASJ) currently has only 1 runway.