Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Obihiro, Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (OBO), Obihiro, Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,731 miles (or 7,614 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 Tokachi-Obihiro 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 Tokachi-Obihiro 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):

• After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
• 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.
• Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, United States.
• The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
• Great Falls was reassigned to the Central Air Defense Force at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in 1953.
• 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".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (OBO):

• Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (OBO) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Tokachi-Obihiro Airport's relatively low elevation of 490 feet, planes can take off or land at Tokachi-Obihiro 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.
• In addition to being known as "Tokachi-Obihiro Airport", another name for OBO is "とかち帯広空港".
• The furthest airport from Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (OBO) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,320 miles (18,218 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (OBO) is Kushiro Airport (KUH), which is located 54 miles (87 kilometers) ENE of OBO.