Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GFA to APA:
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- About this route
- GFA Airport Information
- APA Airport Information
- Facts about GFA
- Facts about APA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFA
- List of Nearest Airports to GFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFA
- List of Furthest Airports from GFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to APA
- List of Nearest Airports to APA
- Map of Furthest Airports from APA
- List of Furthest Airports from APA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Centennial Airport (APA), Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 633 miles (or 1,019 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 relatively short distance between Malmstrom Air Force Base and Centennial Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFA / KGFA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Great Falls, Montana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°30'16"N by 111°11'13"W |
View all routes: | Routes from GFA |
More Information: | GFA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | APA / KAPA |
Airport Name: | Centennial Airport |
Location: | Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 39°34'12"N by 104°50'57"W |
Area Served: | Denver, Colorado |
Operator/Owner: | Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5885 feet (1,794 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from APA |
More Information: | APA Maps & Info |
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- 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.
- Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
- DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
- On 21 August 1954 the 407th SFW Vice Commander, Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom, died when his T-33 Shooting Star trainer crashed approximately one mile west of the Great Falls Municipal Airport.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- 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.
- Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union increased dramatically when the Soviet Union closed all land travel between the western occupation sectors of Germany and the American, French and British sectors of Berlin.
- Great Falls was reassigned to the Central Air Defense Force at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in 1953.
- Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base played an important role in US defense during the Cold War era.
- Originally named Great Falls Army Air Base, later Great Falls Air Force Base, the facility was renamed Malmstrom Air Force Base on 1 October 1955 in honor of Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom.
- In 1959 a SAGE data center was established at Malmstrom.
Facts about Centennial Airport (APA):
- Centennial Airport does not offer scheduled airline passenger service.
- The closest airport to Centennial Airport (APA) is Denver International Airport (DEN), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) NNE of APA.
- The furthest airport from Centennial Airport (APA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,899 miles (17,540 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Centennial Airport (APA) has 3 runways.
- Because of Centennial Airport's high elevation of 5,885 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at APA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make APA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Centennial Airport covers 1,400 acres at an elevation of 5,885 feet.