Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Dera Ismail Khan Airport (DSK), Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,948 miles (or 11,182 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 Dera Ismail Khan 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 Dera Ismail Khan 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):

• Great Falls became the temporary home of the 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing on 1 May 1953 which was transferred from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
• On 18 December 1953, Great Falls AFB was transferred from Military Air Transport Service to Strategic Air Command, although MATS units remained at the base for several years.
• 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.
• Later, the 517th Air Transport Wing was redesginated the 1701st Air Transport Wing on 1 June 1948 when Air Transport Command was redesignated the Military Air Transport Service.
• 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.
• MATS reopened the C-54 Flight Training School as the 1272 Medium Transition Training Unit in May 1950, one month before the Korean War began.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• At Great Falls, P-39 Airacobras, C-47 Skytrains, B-25 Mitchells, and A-20 Havocs aircraft.
• The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
• 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.
• The 801st Radar Squadron was inactivated on 31 December 1969 due to budget reductions.

Facts about Dera Ismail Khan Airport (DSK):

• In addition to being known as "Dera Ismail Khan Airport", another name for DSK is "RYK".
• Dera Ismail Khan Airport (DSK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Dera Ismail Khan Airport (DSK) is PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD), which is located 60 miles (96 kilometers) NE of DSK.
• Because of Dera Ismail Khan Airport's relatively low elevation of 594 feet, planes can take off or land at Dera Ismail Khan 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 Dera Ismail Khan Airport (DSK) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is nearly antipodal to Dera Ismail Khan Airport (meaning Dera Ismail Khan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mataveri International Airport), and is located 12,108 miles (19,487 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.