Nonstop flight route between Skien, Telemark, Norway and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SKE to GRF:
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- About this route
- SKE Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about SKE
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to SKE
- List of Nearest Airports to SKE
- Map of Furthest Airports from SKE
- List of Furthest Airports from SKE
- Map of Nearest Airports to GRF
- List of Nearest Airports to GRF
- Map of Furthest Airports from GRF
- List of Furthest Airports from GRF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE), Skien, Telemark, Norway and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,612 miles (or 7,422 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 Skien Airport, Geiteryggen 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 Skien Airport, Geiteryggen and Gray Army Airfield. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SKE / ENSN |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Skien, Telemark, Norway |
GPS Coordinates: | 59°11'6"N by 9°34'0"E |
Area Served: | Skien, Telemark, Norway |
Operator/Owner: | Skien Municipality |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 463 feet (141 meters) |
View all routes: | Routes from SKE |
More Information: | SKE Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GRF / KGRF |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°4'45"N by 122°34'50"W |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 300 feet (91 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GRF |
More Information: | GRF Maps & Info |
Facts about Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE):
- Norving's concession was granted in January 1976 and was the first time a formal taxi route concession was granted in Norway.
- Because of Skien Airport, Geiteryggen's relatively low elevation of 463 feet, planes can take off or land at Skien Airport, Geiteryggen 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.
- Skien Airport, Geiteryggen handled 46,995 passengers last year.
- Two airlines operate scheduled services from Geiteryggen.
- The runway and original facilities at Geiteryggen were built by the aviation club and cost 30,000 Norwegian krone.
- The first aircraft to visit Skien was an air show held by Pierre Chanteloup at Gråtenmoen in Solum in 1914.
- Teddy Air was established in 1989 and began services from Skien to Fornebu the following year, initially using a Britten-Norman Islander.
- The furthest airport from Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,344 miles (18,257 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Discussions of expanding the runway had been carried out since the 1970s, but the issue had stranded as no-one was willing to finance the venture.
- The municipal council voted on 19 June 2008 to not give further subsidies to the airport.
- In addition to being known as "Skien Airport, Geiteryggen", another name for SKE is "Skien lufthavn, Geiteryggen".
- The closest airport to Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE) is Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) E of SKE.
- The municipal lot at Gråtenmoen was selected by the appointed municipal airport committee.
Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):
- 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 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.
- The Washington National Guard 66th Aviation Brigade trains at Grey AAF and provides transportation support for fighting wildfires.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.