Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Atka, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Atka Airport (AKB), Atka, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,736 miles (or 4,403 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 Malmstrom Air Force Base and Atka Airport, 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 Malmstrom Air Force Base and Atka Airport. 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 Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
• Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls AFB.
• Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
• With the development of the three-stage, solid-fuel Minuteman I missile in the late 1950s SAC began searching for sites to deploy this revolutionary weapon.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• The closest airport to Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Great Falls International Airport (GTF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of GFA.
• By 1954, several aircraft control and warning squadrons had been formed at the base.
• The furthest airport from Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about Atka Airport (AKB):

• In addition to being known as "Atka Airport", another name for AKB is "AKA".
• The closest airport to Atka Airport (AKB) is Adak Airport (ADK), which is located 106 miles (171 kilometers) WSW of AKB.
• Atka Airport (AKB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Atka Airport's relatively low elevation of 57 feet, planes can take off or land at Atka 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 Atka Airport (AKB) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 11,025 miles (17,743 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.