Nonstop flight route between Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BQN to GRF:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- BQN Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about BQN
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to BQN
- List of Nearest Airports to BQN
- Map of Furthest Airports from BQN
- List of Furthest Airports from BQN
- 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 Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN), Aguadilla, Puerto Rico and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,678 miles (or 5,919 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 Rafael Hernández 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 Rafael Hernández 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:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BQN / TJBQ |
Airport Name: | Rafael Hernández Airport |
Location: | Aguadilla, Puerto Rico |
GPS Coordinates: | 18°29'42"N by 67°7'45"W |
Area Served: | Aguadilla, Puerto Rico |
Operator/Owner: | Puerto Rico Ports Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 237 feet (72 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BQN |
More Information: | BQN Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GRF / KGRF |
Airport Names: |
|
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 Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN):
- Rafael Hernandez Airport mainly serves Puerto Rican westerners living in the Eastern Region of the United States.
- Because of Rafael Hernández Airport's relatively low elevation of 237 feet, planes can take off or land at Rafael Hernández 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.
- In the mid and late 1970s, the Ahrens Aircraft Corporation attempted to set up operations at former USAF industrial facilities at the airport in order to manufacture the Ahrens AR 404 regional airliner, a short takeoff and landing turboprop aircraft, with financial incentives promised by the Puerto Rican government for development.
- In 1988, Rafael Hernández Airport started to serve as an alternative to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, when Carnival Airlines and ATA began jet service.
- The closest airport to Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) is Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) S of BQN.
- Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) currently has only 1 runway.
- The south side of the airport is the largest portion of the airport, but is currently undeveloped.
- The furthest airport from Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Rafael Hernández Airport (meaning Rafael Hernández Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,204 miles (19,641 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
- The capacity of the airport and its role as the main gateway to Porta del Sol has led local officials to take the position that the airport is extremely undeserved in a region which accounts for one third of Puerto Rico's total population, with the mayor of the Aguadilla asking for the airport to be transferred to the city on several occasions.
Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):
- 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.
- Reactivated following service in Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division aviation units occupied GAAF in 1972.
- Another innovative aircraft came to GAAF in the fall of 2000.
- The Air Transport Command.
- The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
- Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
- 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.
- 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.
- During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
- The Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.