Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Lightning Ridge Airport (LHG), Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,169 miles (or 13,147 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 Lightning Ridge 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 Lightning Ridge 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 North American Aerospace Defense Command was created in 1957.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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 AAB was assigned to II Bomber Command, Second Air Force.
• 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.

Facts about Lightning Ridge Airport (LHG):

• The furthest airport from Lightning Ridge Airport (LHG) is Santa Maria Airport (SMA), which is located 11,784 miles (18,965 kilometers) away in Santa Maria, Portugal.
• Lightning Ridge Airport (LHG) has 2 runways.
• Because of Lightning Ridge Airport's relatively low elevation of 540 feet, planes can take off or land at Lightning Ridge 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 closest airport to Lightning Ridge Airport (LHG) is Collarenebri Airport (CRB), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) E of LHG.