Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Christiansted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (SSB), Christiansted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,827 miles (or 6,158 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 Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base, 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 Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base. 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):

• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
• 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.
• The 1938 construction included two paved runways, a boiler plant, headquarters building, metal balloon hangar, six-plane hangar, corrugated-iron hangar, storehouse, flight-surgeon office, and film-storage building.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• The 91st Observation Squadron and aircraft of the 3rd Balloon Squadron operated out of the Fort Lewis airfield.
• In October 1921 Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes flew from the Naval Station at Sand Point to a grass airfield at what was then called "Camp Lewis", located at a site just west of today’s Gray AAF.
• 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.
• Reactivated following service in Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division aviation units occupied GAAF in 1972.
• 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.
• GAAF units have served in Iraq with Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, returning from a 15 month deployment on April 17, 2004.

Facts about Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (SSB):

• Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (SSB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (SSB) is Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) WSW of SSB.
• Because of Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base 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.
• In addition to being known as "Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base", other names for SSB include "St. Croix Seaplane Base", "none" and "VI32".
• The furthest airport from Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (SSB) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (meaning Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,221 miles (19,668 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.