Nonstop flight route between Boigu Island, Queensland, Australia and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GIC to TCM:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- GIC Airport Information
- TCM Airport Information
- Facts about GIC
- Facts about TCM
- Map of Nearest Airports to GIC
- List of Nearest Airports to GIC
- Map of Furthest Airports from GIC
- List of Furthest Airports from GIC
- Map of Nearest Airports to TCM
- List of Nearest Airports to TCM
- Map of Furthest Airports from TCM
- List of Furthest Airports from TCM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Boigu Island Airport (GIC), Boigu Island, Queensland, Australia and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,934 miles (or 11,159 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 Boigu Island Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB, 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 Boigu Island Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GIC / YBOI |
| Airport Name: | Boigu Island Airport |
| Location: | Boigu Island, Queensland, Australia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 9°13'58"S by 142°13'1"E |
| Area Served: | Boigu Island, Queensland, Australia |
| Operator/Owner: | Torres Strait Islands Regional Council |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 10 feet (3 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from GIC |
| More Information: | GIC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | TCM / KTCM |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 47°8'16"N by 122°28'35"W |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military: Air Force Base |
| Elevation: | 322 feet (98 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from TCM |
| More Information: | TCM Maps & Info |
Facts about Boigu Island Airport (GIC):
- Because of Boigu Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Boigu Island 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 Boigu Island Airport (GIC) is Yam Island Airport (XMY), which is located 59 miles (95 kilometers) SE of GIC.
- The furthest airport from Boigu Island Airport (GIC) is Parnaíba–Prefeito Dr. João Silva Filho International Airport (PHB), which is located 11,556 miles (18,598 kilometers) away in Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil.
- Boigu Island Airport (GIC) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):
- The furthest airport from McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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.
- McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
- On 6 October 1949, the 62nd received its first four-engine Douglas C-54 Skymaster transport.
- The ADC radar site was deactivated 1 April 1960 and repositioned to Fort Lawton AFS where the Air Force consolidated its anti-aircraft radars with the United States Army Seattle Defense Area Army Air-Defense Command Post S-90DC for Nike missile operations.
- Nearly all new heavy bomb groups organized after Pearl Harbor were organized and trained at Second Air Force Bases, by II Bomber Command operational training units then were deployed to combat commands around the world.
- With the departure of the 17th Bomb Group, the mission of McChord Field became supporting the Army Air Forces Training Command's mission of training of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.
- The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
- The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
- Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the 17th Bombardment Group flew anti-submarine patrols off the west coast of the United States with the new North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.
