Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Manta, Manabí, Ecuador:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GFA to MEC:
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- About this route
- GFA Airport Information
- MEC Airport Information
- Facts about GFA
- Facts about MEC
- 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 MEC
- List of Nearest Airports to MEC
- Map of Furthest Airports from MEC
- List of Furthest Airports from MEC
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC), Manta, Manabí, Ecuador would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,819 miles (or 6,145 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 Eloy Alfaro 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 Eloy Alfaro International 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: |
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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: | MEC / SEMT |
Airport Name: | Eloy Alfaro International Airport |
Location: | Manta, Manabí, Ecuador |
GPS Coordinates: | 0°56'44"S by 80°40'42"W |
Operator/Owner: | Military of Ecuador |
Airport Type: | Public / Military |
Elevation: | 48 feet (15 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MEC |
More Information: | MEC Maps & Info |
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- 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.
- 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.
- At Great Falls, P-39 Airacobras, C-47 Skytrains, B-25 Mitchells, and A-20 Havocs aircraft.
- Construction of the wing's first launch facility began in March 1961 and was completed in December.
- Great Falls became the temporary home of the 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing on 1 May 1953 which was transferred from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
- Great Falls AAB was assigned to II Bomber Command, Second Air Force.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
Facts about Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC):
- Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) is Reales Tamarindos Airport (PVO), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) ESE of MEC.
- Because of Eloy Alfaro International Airport's relatively low elevation of 48 feet, planes can take off or land at Eloy Alfaro 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.
- Admiral James Stavridis, chief of the U.S.
- The furthest airport from Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) is Aek Godang Airport (AEG), which is nearly antipodal to Eloy Alfaro International Airport (meaning Eloy Alfaro International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aek Godang Airport), and is located 12,405 miles (19,963 kilometers) away in Padang Sidempuan, Indonesia.
- Until July 2009 a portion of the airport was used by the Air Forces Southern Air Force component of the United States Southern Command for operations against illegal cocaine trafficking in northwestern South America.