Nonstop flight route between Cartagena, Colombia and Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), Cartagena, Colombia and Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,887 miles (or 4,646 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 Núñez International Airport and Grand Forks 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 Rafael Núñez International Airport and Grand Forks 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 Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG):

• Today, the Rafael Nunez International Airport is the fourth largest airport in the country, and one of the largest in the Caribbean region.
• Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Rafael Núñez International Airport's relatively low elevation of 4 feet, planes can take off or land at Rafael Núñez International 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 Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), which is located 59 miles (94 kilometers) ENE of CTG.
• In addition to being known as "Rafael Núñez International Airport", another name for CTG is "Aeropuerto Internacional Rafael Núñez".
• In 1930 the SCADTA built facilities to receive its first aircraft wheels on the airfield built on the island of Manzanillo.
• The furthest airport from Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to Rafael Núñez International Airport (meaning Rafael Núñez International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,355 miles (19,883 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• On 1 November 1964, 321st Strategic Missile Wing was organized as the Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile wing at GFAFB, the first in SAC.
• Survey teams selected sites in flat wheatlands close to the Canada-Minnesota border, north-northwest of Grand Forks.
• The furthest airport from Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,504 miles (16,904 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) E of RDR.
• Due to the continuance of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, GFAFB was originally an Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor air base.
• On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".