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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States and San Luis Airport (IPI), Ipiales, Colombia would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,175 miles (or 6,719 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and San Luis 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and San Luis 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• With the departure of the 17th Bomb Group, the mission of McChord Field became supporting the Army Air Forces Training Command's mission of training of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.
• On 1 August 1946, McChord was assigned to the new Air Defense Command, with a mission of air defense of the United States.
• Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• During 1952 and 1953, the 62nd airlifted troops, blood plasma, aircraft parts, ammunition, medical supplies, and much more, to the Far East, in support of the war in Korea.
• In 1940 McChord Field became the headquarters of the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District, with a mission for the defense of the Pacific Northwest and Upper Great Plains regions of the United States.
• The 325th Fighter Group operated two squadrons of F-82F Twin Mustangs from McChord between 1948 and 1950, the first postwar fighter optimized for the air defense interceptor mission.
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
• The McChord Air Museum features exhibits about McChord Field and a collection of restored military aircraft.

Facts about San Luis Airport (IPI):

• San Luis Airport (IPI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of San Luis Airport's high elevation of 9,765 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at IPI. Combined with a high temperature, this could make IPI a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In addition to being known as "San Luis Airport", another name for IPI is "Aeropuerto San Luis".
• The furthest airport from San Luis Airport (IPI) is Depati Parbo Airport (KRC), which is nearly antipodal to San Luis Airport (meaning San Luis Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Depati Parbo Airport), and is located 12,333 miles (19,848 kilometers) away in Kerinci, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to San Luis Airport (IPI) is Teniente Coronel Luis A Mantilla International Airport (TUA), which is located only 4 miles (7 kilometers) SW of IPI.