Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,116 miles (or 5,014 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 Kalaupapa 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 Kalaupapa 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):

• Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
• Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base played an important role in US defense during the Cold War era.
• Great Falls was reassigned to the Central Air Defense Force at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in 1953.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• 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.
• With the phaseout of the B-36 from the inventory in the late 1950s, the need for fighter escorts of SAC bombers was eliminated.
• In 1959 a SAGE data center was established at Malmstrom.
• In 1957, under the control of the 801st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, the Malmstrom AFB radar station became operational with AN/FPS-20 search and AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Kalaupapa Airport (LUP):

• The closest airport to Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) is Molokai Airport (MKK), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) WSW of LUP.
• Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Kalaupapa Airport (meaning Kalaupapa Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,347 miles (19,871 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.
• Facilities include a small passenger terminal and airport support areas.
• Because of Kalaupapa Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at Kalaupapa 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.