Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GFA to LEA:
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- About this route
- GFA Airport Information
- LEA Airport Information
- Facts about GFA
- Facts about LEA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFA
- List of Nearest Airports to GFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFA
- List of Furthest Airports from GFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to LEA
- List of Nearest Airports to LEA
- Map of Furthest Airports from LEA
- List of Furthest Airports from LEA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and RAAF Learmonth (LEA), Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,395 miles (or 15,120 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 RAAF Learmonth, 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 RAAF Learmonth. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFA / KGFA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Great Falls, Montana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°30'16"N by 111°11'13"W |
View all routes: | Routes from GFA |
More Information: | GFA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LEA / YPLM |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 22°14'8"S by 114°5'18"E |
Area Served: | Exmouth, Western Australia |
Operator/Owner: | RAAF/Shire of Exmouth |
Airport Type: | Military/Public |
Elevation: | 19 feet (6 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from LEA |
More Information: | LEA Maps & Info |
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- 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.
- The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
- Great Falls played a major aerial defense role in North American air defense mission.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- 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.
- After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
Facts about RAAF Learmonth (LEA):
- Because of RAAF Learmonth's relatively low elevation of 19 feet, planes can take off or land at RAAF Learmonth 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.
- In addition to being known as "RAAF Learmonth", another name for LEA is "Learmonth Airport".
- The closest airport to RAAF Learmonth (LEA) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is located 127 miles (204 kilometers) NE of LEA.
- The furthest airport from RAAF Learmonth (LEA) is Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG), which is nearly antipodal to RAAF Learmonth (meaning RAAF Learmonth is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport), and is located 12,175 miles (19,594 kilometers) away in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- RAAF Learmonth (LEA) currently has only 1 runway.
- During World War II a little-known landing field was constructed on the western shore of Exmouth Gulf.
- RAAF Learmonth handled 90,861 passengers last year.
- In the mid-1960s, the Federal Government gave its support to plans by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Val Hancock, to redevelop Learmonth as a 'bare base', due to its proximity to Indonesia.