Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Tamarindo, Costa Rica:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Tamarindo Airport (TNO), Tamarindo, Costa Rica would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,964 miles (or 4,770 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 Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo 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):

• Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base played an important role in US defense during the Cold War era.
• 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 base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
• 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.
• Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
• Great Falls AAB was assigned to II Bomber Command, Second Air Force.
• With the phaseout of the B-36 from the inventory in the late 1950s, the need for fighter escorts of SAC bombers was eliminated.
• 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 addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".

Facts about Tamarindo Airport (TNO):

• Tamarindo Airport (TNO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Tamarindo Airport (TNO) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Tamarindo Airport (meaning Tamarindo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,216 miles (19,659 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Because of Tamarindo Airport's relatively low elevation of 43 feet, planes can take off or land at Tamarindo 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.
• The closest airport to Tamarindo Airport (TNO) is Nosara Airport (NOB), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SSE of TNO.