Nonstop flight route between Yamagata, Honshū, Japan and Riverside, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Yamagata Airport (GAJ), Yamagata, Honshū, Japan and March Air Reserve Base (RIV), Riverside, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,393 miles (or 8,679 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 Yamagata Airport and March Air Reserve 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 Yamagata Airport and March Air Reserve 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 Yamagata Airport (GAJ):

• Yamagata Airport (GAJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Yamagata Airport's relatively low elevation of 345 feet, planes can take off or land at Yamagata 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.
• The furthest airport from Yamagata Airport (GAJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,606 miles (18,679 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Yamagata Airport (GAJ) is Sendai Airport (SDJ), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) ESE of GAJ.
• Kamiyama Training Airfield was opened by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
• In addition to being known as "Yamagata Airport", another name for GAJ is "山形空港".

Facts about March Air Reserve Base (RIV):

• March is one of the oldest airfields operated by the United States military, being established as Alessandro Flying Training Field in February 1918.
• The furthest airport from March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,461 miles (18,445 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The closest airport to March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Flabob Airport (RIR), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) NW of RIV.
• However, by 1921, the decision had been made to phase down all activities at the base in accordance with sharply reduced military budgets.
• On 16 April 1950, the 1st Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing.
• In the decade before World War II, March Field took on much of its current appearance and also began to gain prominence.
• On a lighter note, entertainer Bob Hope's first USO show was held at March on 6 May 1941.
• The first flying squadron was the 215th Aero Squadron, which was transferred from Rockwell Field, North Island, California.
• By late April 1918, enough progress had been made in the construction of the new field to allow the arrival of the first troops.