Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Hoedspruit, South Africa:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GFA to HDS:
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- About this route
- GFA Airport Information
- HDS Airport Information
- Facts about GFA
- Facts about HDS
- 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 HDS
- List of Nearest Airports to HDS
- Map of Furthest Airports from HDS
- List of Furthest Airports from HDS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS), Hoedspruit, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,828 miles (or 15,816 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 Air Force Base Hoedspruit, 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 Air Force Base Hoedspruit. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
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: | HDS / FAHS |
Airport Name: | Air Force Base Hoedspruit |
Location: | Hoedspruit, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 24°21'16"S by 31°3'1"E |
Operator/Owner: | South African Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military and Civil |
Elevation: | 1742 feet (531 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from HDS |
More Information: | HDS Maps & Info |
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- The 801st Radar Squadron was inactivated on 31 December 1969 due to budget reductions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls AFB.
- 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.
Facts about Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS):
- The furthest airport from Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,932 miles (19,202 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) is Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) NNE of HDS.
- A civil airport terminal, known as the Eastgage Airport, was established at the southern end of the airfield in the early 1990s.
- Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) has 2 runways.
- The base is teeming with wildlife, being surrounded by the 25 km² AFB Hoedspruit Game Reserve.
- South African Express operates daily flights to/from Johannesburg - OR Tambo International Airport and three flights a week to/from Cape Town.