Nonstop flight route between Ashburton, New Zealand and Great Falls, Montana, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG), Ashburton, New Zealand and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,856 miles (or 12,643 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 Ashburton Aerodrome and Malmstrom Air Force Base, 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 Ashburton Aerodrome and Malmstrom Air Force Base. 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 Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG):

• Because of Ashburton Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 298 feet, planes can take off or land at Ashburton Aerodrome 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 Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) is A Coruña Airport (LCG), which is nearly antipodal to Ashburton Aerodrome (meaning Ashburton Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from A Coruña Airport), and is located 12,394 miles (19,947 kilometers) away in A Coruña, Spain.
• The closest airport to Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) is Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU), which is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) SW of ASG.
• Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) has 4 runways.

Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• With the development of the three-stage, solid-fuel Minuteman I missile in the late 1950s SAC began searching for sites to deploy this revolutionary weapon.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• 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.
• This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
• Malmstrom AFB is one of three US Air Force Bases that maintains and operates the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.
• 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.
• Originally named Great Falls Army Air Base, later Great Falls Air Force Base, the facility was renamed Malmstrom Air Force Base on 1 October 1955 in honor of Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom.
• Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base played an important role in US defense during the Cold War era.
• Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls AFB.
• MATS reopened the C-54 Flight Training School as the 1272 Medium Transition Training Unit in May 1950, one month before the Korean War began.