Nonstop flight route between Great Falls, Montana, United States and Yushu County, Qinghai, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States and Yushu Batang Airport (YUS), Yushu County, Qinghai, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,616 miles (or 10,647 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 Yushu Batang 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 Yushu Batang 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):

• 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.
• Great Falls was reassigned to the Central Air Defense Force at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in 1953.
• 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".
• On 21 August 1954 the 407th SFW Vice Commander, Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom, died when his T-33 Shooting Star trainer crashed approximately one mile west of the Great Falls Municipal Airport.
• 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.

Facts about Yushu Batang Airport (YUS):

• In addition to being known as "Yushu Batang Airport", other names for YUS include "玉树巴塘机场" and "Yùshù Batáng Jīchǎng".
• Because of Yushu Batang Airport's high elevation of 12,762 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at YUS. Combined with a high temperature, this could make YUS a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Yushu Batang Airport (YUS) is Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), which is located 11,813 miles (19,012 kilometers) away in Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile.
• The closest airport to Yushu Batang Airport (YUS) is Qamdo Bamda Airport (BPX), which is located 158 miles (254 kilometers) S of YUS.
• The construction of the airport started in 2007.