Nonstop flight route between Grand Rapids, Minnesota, United States and Edwards, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport (GPZ), Grand Rapids, Minnesota, United States and Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,518 miles (or 2,443 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 relatively short distance between Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport and Edwards Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport (GPZ):

• In addition to being known as "Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport", another name for GPZ is "Gordon Newstrom Field".
• The closest airport to Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport (GPZ) is Range Regional Airport (HIB), which is located 34 miles (54 kilometers) ENE of GPZ.
• Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport (GPZ) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport (GPZ) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,692 miles (17,207 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Grand Rapids - Itasca County Airport's relatively low elevation of 413 feet, planes can take off or land at Grand Rapids - Itasca County 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.

Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• Notable occurrences at Edwards include Chuck Yeager's flight that broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, test flights of the North American X-15, the first landings of the Space Shuttle, and the 1986 around-the-world flight of the Rutan Voyager.
• The furthest airport from Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,414 miles (18,369 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• On the afternoon of 7 December 1941, the 41st Bombardment Group and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron moved to Muroc from Davis-Monthan Army Airfield, Arizona with a collection of B-18 Bolos, an A-29 Hudson and B-25 Mitchells.
• The base is next to Rogers Dry Lake, an endorheic desert salt pan whose hard dry lake surface provides a natural extension to Edwards' runways.
• Aircraft testing continued at this desert "Army Air Base", then on 8 November 1943, the base title was changed to "Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc".
• At this time, another colorful character in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes, built her renowned Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that would be the scene of many parties and celebrations to come.
• With the X-1, flight testing at Muroc began to assume two distinct identities.
• As a military airbase, civilian access is severely restricted, but is possible with prior coordination and good reason.
• The closest airport to Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NW of EDW.