Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GFA to FSM:
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- About this route
- GFA Airport Information
- FSM Airport Information
- Facts about GFA
- Facts about FSM
- 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 FSM
- List of Nearest Airports to FSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from FSM
- List of Furthest Airports from FSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM), Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,206 miles (or 1,941 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 Fort Smith Regional 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: | FSM / KFSM |
Airport Name: | Fort Smith Regional Airport |
Location: | Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°20'12"N by 94°22'3"W |
Area Served: | Fort Smith, Arkansas |
Operator/Owner: | Fort Smith Airport Commission |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 469 feet (143 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from FSM |
More Information: | FSM Maps & Info |
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- In November 1942, a survey team evaluated an area near the Green Mill Dance Club and Rainbow Dam Road approximately six miles east of Great Falls.
- 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.
- Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls 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.
- Great Falls played a major aerial defense role in North American air defense mission.
- The North American Aerospace Defense Command was created in 1957.
- Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
- 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.
- The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
Facts about Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM):
- The closest airport to Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is Robert S. Kerr Airport (RKR), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SSW of FSM.
- Because of Fort Smith Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 469 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Smith Regional 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.
- Fort Smith Regional Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Fort Smith, in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States.
- Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) has 2 runways.
- Since 1953, FSM has been the proud home to Fort Smith Air National Guard Station and the 188th Fighter Wing, an Air Combat Command -gained unit of the Arkansas Air National Guard.
- The furthest airport from Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,765 miles (17,324 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.