Nonstop flight route between Elenak, Marshall Islands and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elenak Airport (EAL), Elenak, Marshall Islands and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,836 miles (or 7,783 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 Elenak 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 Elenak 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 Elenak Airport (EAL):

• The furthest airport from Elenak Airport (EAL) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is nearly antipodal to Elenak Airport (meaning Elenak Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAF Ascension), and is located 12,311 miles (19,812 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• The closest airport to Elenak Airport (EAL) is Lae Airport (LML), which is located 48 miles (78 kilometers) SW of EAL.

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.
• Another innovative aircraft came to GAAF in the fall of 2000.
• The Air Transport Command.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• Gray Army Airfield, also known as Gray AAF, is a military airfield located within Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, in Pierce County, Washington, United States.
• During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
• Reactivated following service in Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division aviation units occupied GAAF in 1972.
• 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.
• In October 1921 Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes flew from the Naval Station at Sand Point to a grass airfield at what was then called "Camp Lewis", located at a site just west of today’s Gray AAF.
• The field is named in honor of Captain Lawrence C.