Nonstop flight route between Keflavík (near Reykjavík), Iceland and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from KEF to GRF:
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- About this route
- KEF Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about KEF
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to KEF
- List of Nearest Airports to KEF
- Map of Furthest Airports from KEF
- List of Furthest Airports from KEF
- Map of Nearest Airports to GRF
- List of Nearest Airports to GRF
- Map of Furthest Airports from GRF
- List of Furthest Airports from GRF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Keflavík International Airport (KEF), Keflavík (near Reykjavík), Iceland and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,639 miles (or 5,857 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 Keflavík International 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 Keflavík International 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | KEF / BIKF |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Keflavík (near Reykjavík), Iceland |
| GPS Coordinates: | 63°59'5"N by 22°36'20"W |
| Area Served: | Greater Reykjavík Area |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 171 feet (52 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from KEF |
| More Information: | KEF Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GRF / KGRF |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 47°4'45"N by 122°34'50"W |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 300 feet (91 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from GRF |
| More Information: | GRF Maps & Info |
Facts about Keflavík International Airport (KEF):
- Keflavík Airport only handles international flights, domestic flights and flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands are operated from Reykjavík's domestic airport.
- Keflavík International Airport (KEF) has 2 runways.
- The airport was built by the United States military during World War II.
- The closest airport to Keflavík International Airport (KEF) is Reykjavík Airport (RKV), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) ENE of KEF.
- During the war the airport complex only served military purposes, but at war's end it became a refueling stop for the quickly developing international civil aviation crossing the Atlantic.
- The furthest airport from Keflavík International Airport (KEF) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,188 miles (18,005 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
- Because of Keflavík International Airport's relatively low elevation of 171 feet, planes can take off or land at Keflavík International 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 presence of foreign military forces in Iceland under the NATO sponsored Iceland–U.S.
- In addition to being known as "Keflavík International Airport", another name for KEF is "Keflavíkurflugvöllur".
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.
- The Washington National Guard 66th Aviation Brigade trains at Grey AAF and provides transportation support for fighting wildfires.
- In 1926, the War Department observing aviation expansion overseas requested additional aviation funding.
- Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
- World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- 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 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
- 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.
- During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
