Nonstop flight route between Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Dipolog Airport (DPL), Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,878 miles (or 11,070 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 Dipolog 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 Dipolog 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 Dipolog Airport (DPL):

• Because of Dipolog Airport's relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Dipolog 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 2002, at least 25% of the passenger traffic bound for Dipolog Airport are composed of foreign tourists.
• The closest airport to Dipolog Airport (DPL) is Labo Airport (OZC), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) SE of DPL.
• In December 2006, it registered a maximum traffic of 330 daily passengers on several occasions based on the aircraft's available capacity serving the route with Philippine Airlines utilizing the much bigger Boeing 737-400 with a seating capacity of 180 passengers.
• Dipolog Airport (DPL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Dipolog Airport (DPL) is Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport (AFL), which is nearly antipodal to Dipolog Airport (meaning Dipolog Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport), and is located 12,341 miles (19,862 kilometers) away in Alta Floresta, Brazil.
• The airport is expected to handle more than 150,000 passengers per year by 2009 or an average of 415 daily passengers, which is equivalent to 3 narrow-body aircraft flights or two flights using one wide-body and one narrow-body aircraft.
• The airport's strategic location during World War II and the liberation of Zamboanga and Mindanao by American and Philippine Commonwealth Forces in 1945 prompted the national government to develop the field as an alternate airport to Zamboanga International Airport principally for national security reasons arising from natural and man made emergencies.
• Dipolog Airport handled 165,163 passengers last year.
• The original terminal was made of composite wood material located at the northern side of the runway near the Philippine Constabulary Camp, now Camp Hamac in Sicayab.
• In 1992, after extending its runway by 500 meters and constructing a control tower, the airport officially welcomed its first mid-sized passenger jet, a Philippine Airlines Boeing 737-300.
• In addition to being known as "Dipolog Airport", another name for DPL is "Paliparan ng Dipolog".
• During the incumbency of Matias C.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• 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.
• The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• In 1975, TAC divested itself of its C-130 Hercules tactical airlift fleet, transferring all tactical airlift wings, groups and squadrons to MAC.
• Nearly all new heavy bomb groups organized after Pearl Harbor were organized and trained at Second Air Force Bases, by II Bomber Command operational training units then were deployed to combat commands around the world.
• 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.
• The ADC radar site was deactivated 1 April 1960 and repositioned to Fort Lawton AFS where the Air Force consolidated its anti-aircraft radars with the United States Army Seattle Defense Area Army Air-Defense Command Post S-90DC for Nike missile operations.
• 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.