Nonstop flight route between Montego Bay, Jamaica and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sangster International Airport (MBJ), Montego Bay, Jamaica and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,192 miles (or 5,136 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 Sangster International Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB, 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 Sangster International Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB. 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 Sangster International Airport (MBJ):

• Because of Sangster International Airport's relatively low elevation of 4 feet, planes can take off or land at Sangster 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 first international airline to fly into the Montego Bay Airport was Pan American Airways, and the airport, which in comparison to today's standards, was more like a small aerodrome, was operated by Pan American until 30 September 1949, when the Jamaican government took control of the facility.
• Sangster International Airport (MBJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2006, there was a change in management at the airport following the change in the consortium that operates this facility.
• The furthest airport from Sangster International Airport (MBJ) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,877 miles (19,115 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• In December 2013, the airport will be the first English-Speaking Caribbean country to receive flights with a Boeing 787 aircraft by Thomson Airways from London, England
• Sangster is run by a consortium called MBJ Airports Limited.
• Sangster International Airport handled 3,381,490 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) is Negril Aerodrome (NEG), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) WSW of MBJ.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
• Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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 "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• The furthest airport from McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• In 1945 McChord was designated as a permanent station by the Army Air Forces.
• On 6 October 1949, the 62nd received its first four-engine Douglas C-54 Skymaster transport.
• The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.
• Nearly all new heavy bomb groups organized after Pearl Harbor were organized and trained at Second Air Force Bases, by II Bomber Command operational training units then were deployed to combat commands around the world.
• The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
• Part of Air Mobility Command
• Starting in mid-1943 the training of B-17 and B-24 replacement crews began to be phased out, as the Second Air Force began ramping up training of B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomb groups, destined for Twentieth Air Force.