Nonstop flight route between Zhijiang, Hubei, China and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Zhijiang Airport (HJJ), Zhijiang, Hubei, China and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,346 miles (or 10,213 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 Zhijiang Airport and Gray Army Airfield, 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 Zhijiang Airport and Gray Army Airfield. 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 Zhijiang Airport (HJJ):

• In addition to being known as "Zhijiang Airport", other names for HJJ include "芷江机场", "Zhǐjiāng Jīchǎng" and "ZGCJ".
• Zhijiang Airport (HJJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Zhijiang Airport (HJJ) is Chamonate Airfield (CPO), which is nearly antipodal to Zhijiang Airport (meaning Zhijiang Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chamonate Airfield), and is located 12,425 miles (19,995 kilometers) away in Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile.
• During World War II, the airport was known as Chihkiang Airfield and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Fourteenth Air Force as part of the China Defensive Campaign.
• The closest airport to Zhijiang Airport (HJJ) is Tongren Fenghuang Airport (TEN), which is located 39 miles (62 kilometers) NW of HJJ.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
• 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.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• 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.
• During the Korean War, GAAF continued in the role as a training and division support field.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• 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 91st Observation Squadron and aircraft of the 3rd Balloon Squadron operated out of the Fort Lewis airfield.
• 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.