Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Orchid Island, Taitung County, Taiwan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Lanyu Airport (KYD), Orchid Island, Taitung County, Taiwan would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,222 miles (or 10,014 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 Gray Army Airfield and Lanyu 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 Gray Army Airfield and Lanyu 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 Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• Because of Gray Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 300 feet, planes can take off or land at Gray Army Airfield 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.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• The furthest airport from Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,809 miles (17,395 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Camp Lewis advocates pushed for it to be a major dirigible and fixed-wing field.
• World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
• After the Korean War, the 2d Aviation Company, of the 2d Infantry Division, which had been the first helicopter unit in Korea, returned to Fort Lewis with observation/spotter aircraft L-19 Bird Dogs, and L-20 Beavers, as well as H-23 Raven helicopters.
• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".

Facts about Lanyu Airport (KYD):

• The closest airport to Lanyu Airport (KYD) is Lyudao Airport (Green Island Airport) (GNI), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) N of KYD.
• In addition to being known as "Lanyu Airport", other names for KYD include "蘭嶼航空站蘭嶼機場" and "Lányǔ HángkōngzhànLányǔ Jīchǎng".
• Lanyu Airport (KYD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Lanyu Airport (KYD) is Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport (ESG), which is nearly antipodal to Lanyu Airport (meaning Lanyu Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport), and is located 12,299 miles (19,794 kilometers) away in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay.
• Because of Lanyu Airport's relatively low elevation of 44 feet, planes can take off or land at Lanyu 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.