Nonstop flight route between Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Adelaide Airport (ADL), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,317 miles (or 13,385 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 Adelaide Airport 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 Adelaide Airport and Gray Army Airfield. 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 Adelaide Airport (ADL):

• Adelaide Airport (ADL) has 2 runways.
• In October 2006, the new terminal was named the Capital City Airport of the Year at the Australian Aviation Industry Awards in Cairns.
• The airport was redeveloped in 2005 at a cost of $260 million.
• Adelaide Metro operates several JetBus buses connecting the airport to various locations in Adelaide.
• The first Adelaide airport was an aerodrome constructed in 1921 on 24 ha of land in Hendon.
• Adelaide Airport handled 7,337,000 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Adelaide Airport (ADL) is Kingscote Airport (KGC), which is located 78 miles (125 kilometers) SW of ADL.
• The furthest airport from Adelaide Airport (ADL) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is located 11,789 miles (18,972 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Because of Adelaide Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Adelaide 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.

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.
• 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 closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• In 1926, the War Department observing aviation expansion overseas requested additional aviation funding.
• 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.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• The Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.
• 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 91st Observation Squadron and aircraft of the 3rd Balloon Squadron operated out of the Fort Lewis airfield.
• During the Korean War, GAAF continued in the role as a training and division support field.