Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport (SHP), Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,633 miles (or 9,066 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 Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan 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 Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan 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):

• Great Falls played a major aerial defense role in North American air defense mission.
• On 18 December 1953, Great Falls AFB was transferred from Military Air Transport Service to Strategic Air Command, although MATS units remained at the base for several years.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• By 1954, several aircraft control and warning squadrons had been formed at the base.

Facts about Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport (SHP):

• The closest airport to Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport (SHP) is Tangshan Sannühe Airport (TVS), which is located 94 miles (151 kilometers) W of SHP.
• In addition to being known as "Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport", other names for SHP include "秦皇岛山海关机场" and "Qínhuángdǎo Shānhǎiguān Jīchǎng".
• Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport (SHP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport (SHP) is Tres Arroyos Airport (OYO), which is nearly antipodal to Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport (meaning Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tres Arroyos Airport), and is located 12,328 miles (19,839 kilometers) away in Tres Arroyos, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.