Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Popayán, Colombia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN), Popayán, Colombia would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,126 miles (or 6,641 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 Gray Army Airfield and Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Gray Army Airfield and Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• Since 2005 the field has been experiencing another major expansion.
• 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.
• 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 Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• 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.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.

Facts about Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN):

• Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Sultan Thaha Airport (DJB), which is nearly antipodal to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (meaning Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Thaha Airport), and is located 12,378 miles (19,920 kilometers) away in Jambi, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which is located 77 miles (124 kilometers) NNE of PPN.
• Because of Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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.
• In addition to being known as "Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport", another name for PPN is "Aeropuerto Guillermo León Valencia".