Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Kowanyama, Queensland, Australia:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GFA to KWM:
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- About this route
- GFA Airport Information
- KWM Airport Information
- Facts about GFA
- Facts about KWM
- 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 KWM
- List of Nearest Airports to KWM
- Map of Furthest Airports from KWM
- List of Furthest Airports from KWM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Kowanyama Airport (KWM), Kowanyama, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,795 miles (or 12,545 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 Kowanyama 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 Kowanyama Airport. 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: |
|
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: | KWM / YKOW |
Airport Name: | Kowanyama Airport |
Location: | Kowanyama, Queensland, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 15°29'8"S by 141°45'5"E |
Operator/Owner: | Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 35 feet (11 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from KWM |
More Information: | KWM Maps & Info |
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- 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.
- 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 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.
- With the phaseout of the B-36 from the inventory in the late 1950s, the need for fighter escorts of SAC bombers was eliminated.
- 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 1959 a SAGE data center was established at Malmstrom.
- 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.
- Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base played an important role in US defense during the Cold War era.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- Upon completion of the B-17 training program, in October 1943, Great Falls Army Air Base was transferred to the Air Transport Command and units from Gore Field were transferred to the base.
Facts about Kowanyama Airport (KWM):
- The furthest airport from Kowanyama Airport (KWM) is Cesária Évora International Airport (VXE), which is located 11,557 miles (18,598 kilometers) away in São Vicente, Cape Verde.
- The closest airport to Kowanyama Airport (KWM) is Edward River Airport (EDR), which is located 42 miles (67 kilometers) NNW of KWM.
- Kowanyama Airport (KWM) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Kowanyama Airport's relatively low elevation of 35 feet, planes can take off or land at Kowanyama 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.