Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG), Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,698 miles (or 13,998 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA), 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA). 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):

• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• 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.
• By 1954, several aircraft control and warning squadrons had been formed at the base.
• This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
• 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.
• At Great Falls, P-39 Airacobras, C-47 Skytrains, B-25 Mitchells, and A-20 Havocs aircraft.

Facts about Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG):

• There is a plan to lengthen the runway by 250 m to be compatible with Boeing 747, Airbus A340 planes, and also to connect the airport to the city of Padang with a train service.
• The closest airport to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Rokot Airport (RKI), which is located 99 miles (159 kilometers) SSW of PDG.
• Along with the development of the airport, the local government has completed a flyover at the intersection of the entrance to the airport which links the Airport with the By-pass arterial road.
• In addition to being known as "Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)", other names for PDG include "Bandar Udara Internasional Minangkabau (MIA)" and "بانداراينتيرنسيونالمينڠكاباو".
• The furthest airport from Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM), which is nearly antipodal to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (meaning Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Carlos Concha Torres International Airport), and is located 12,422 miles (19,991 kilometers) away in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
• Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)'s relatively low elevation of 18 feet, planes can take off or land at Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) 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.