Nonstop flight route between Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,403 miles (or 13,524 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR):

• The airport was named after Emperor Haile Selassie's elder half-brother, Dejazmach Yilma Makonnen, who preceded him as governor of Harar.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Wilwal International Airport (JIJ), which is located 75 miles (120 kilometers) ESE of DIR.
• The furthest airport from Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (meaning Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport", another name for DIR is "አባ ጤና ደጃዝማች ይልማ ዓለም አቀፍ የአየር ማረፊያ".
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport, also known as Dire Dawa International Airport, is an international airport serving Dire Dawa, a city in eastern Ethiopia.
• On 27 August 1981, Douglas C-47B ET-AGX of RRC Air Services was written off when the port undercarriage collapsed on landing.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• Camp Lewis advocates pushed for it to be a major dirigible and fixed-wing field.
• 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.
• During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
• World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
• 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.
• The 1938 construction included two paved runways, a boiler plant, headquarters building, metal balloon hangar, six-plane hangar, corrugated-iron hangar, storehouse, flight-surgeon office, and film-storage building.
• Gray Army Airfield resides at elevation of 300 feet above mean sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• It should not confused with Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood in Texas.
• 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.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.