Nonstop flight route between Greven, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO), Greven, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,239 miles (or 6,823 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 Münster Osnabrück 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 Münster Osnabrück 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 Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO):

• Because of Münster Osnabrück International Airport's relatively low elevation of 157 feet, planes can take off or land at Münster Osnabrück 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.
• In mid 1967 the German authorities approached the British Army for assistance in building an airfield to serve the Münster-Osnabrück area.
• The closest airport to Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO) is Rheine-Bentlage Air Base (ZPQ), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) NW of FMO.
• Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Münster Osnabrück International Airport (FMO) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,831 miles (19,040 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The first charter flight from Münster/Osnabrück airport to Palma de Mallorca took place in 1973.
• A new terminal building that could accommodate a larger number of passengers was inaugurated in 1995.
• In addition to being known as "Münster Osnabrück International Airport", another name for FMO is "Flughafen Münster/Osnabrück".

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• During the Cold War, GFAFB was a major installation of the Strategic Air Command, with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.
• On 1 November 1964, 321st Strategic Missile Wing was organized as the Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile wing at GFAFB, the first in SAC.
• 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.
• In addition to the interceptor squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center was established at Grand Forks in 1958.
• Grand Forks Air Force Base was established on 1 December 1955, with construction beginning in the fall of that year.
• On 26 May 1972, President Nixon and Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the ABM Treaty, which limited each nation to one site to protect strategic forces and one site to protect the "National Command Authority." With work about 85 percent complete at Grand Forks, the United States chose to finish construction at the North Dakota site.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• 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 4133d SW was redesignated as the 319th Bombardment Wing on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 810th Strategic Aerospace Division.