Nonstop flight route between Douala, Cameroon and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Douala International Airport (DLA), Douala, Cameroon and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,874 miles (or 12,671 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 Douala 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 Douala 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 Douala International Airport (DLA):

• Douala International Airport (DLA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Douala International Airport (DLA) is Limbe Airport (VCC), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) W of DLA.
• The furthest airport from Douala International Airport (DLA) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is nearly antipodal to Douala International Airport (meaning Douala International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Canton Island Airport), and is located 12,307 miles (19,805 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.
• In addition to being known as "Douala International Airport", another name for DLA is "Aéroport international de Douala".
• Douala International Airport handled 704,765 passengers last year.
• Because of Douala International Airport's relatively low elevation of 33 feet, planes can take off or land at Douala 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.

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.
• After the Korean War, the 2d Aviation Company, of the 2d Infantry Division, which had been the first helicopter unit in Korea, returned to Fort Lewis with observation/spotter aircraft L-19 Bird Dogs, and L-20 Beavers, as well as H-23 Raven helicopters.
• 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.
• World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
• 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.
• During the Korean War, GAAF continued in the role as a training and division support field.
• In 1926, the War Department observing aviation expansion overseas requested additional aviation funding.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
• 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.
• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.