Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE), El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,146 miles (or 11,501 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 Comandante Armando Tola International 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 Comandante Armando Tola International 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):

• 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.
• Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
• Great Falls was reassigned to the Central Air Defense Force at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in 1953.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE):

• In addition to being known as "Comandante Armando Tola International Airport", other names for FTE include "Aeropuerto Internacional de El Calafate – Comandante Armando Tola" and "SAWC".
• The furthest airport from Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) is Baikal International Airport (UUD), which is nearly antipodal to Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (meaning Comandante Armando Tola International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Baikal International Airport), and is located 12,329 miles (19,842 kilometers) away in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
• The closest airport to Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) is Lago Argentino Airport (ING), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) WSW of FTE.
• Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Comandante Armando Tola International Airport's relatively low elevation of 669 feet, planes can take off or land at Comandante Armando Tola International 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.