Nonstop flight route between Bastia, Corsica, France and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bastia – Poretta Airport (BIA), Bastia, Corsica, France and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,580 miles (or 8,980 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 Bastia – Poretta Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB, 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 Bastia – Poretta Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB. 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 Bastia – Poretta Airport (BIA):

• In addition to being known as "Bastia – Poretta Airport", another name for BIA is "Aéroport de Bastia Poretta".
• Bastia – Poretta Airport (BIA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Bastia – Poretta Airport's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Bastia – Poretta 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.
• The closest airport to Bastia – Poretta Airport (BIA) is Calvi - Sainte-Catherine Airport (CLY), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) W of BIA.
• The furthest airport from Bastia – Poretta Airport (BIA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Bastia – Poretta Airport (meaning Bastia – Poretta Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,125 miles (19,513 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• McChord also had large maintenance facilities for Air Technical Service Command during the war, serving served as a P-39 Aircobra modification center April 1944 – May 1945 for lend-lease aircraft being sent to Russia via the Alaska Territory.
• 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.
• Today, the successor organization to the 25th AD, the Western Air Defense Sector, is a major tenant organization at McChord, being one of two air defense sectors responsible for the security and integrity of continental United States air space.
• On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.