Nonstop flight route between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States and Great Falls, Montana, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,772 miles (or 2,851 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 relatively short distance between Harrisburg International Airport and Malmstrom Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Harrisburg International Airport (MDT):

• Because of Harrisburg International Airport's relatively low elevation of 310 feet, planes can take off or land at Harrisburg 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 closest airport to Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) is Capital City Airport (HAR), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) WNW of MDT.
• Despite the closure of Olmsted AFB in 1969, the US Air Force continues an Air National Guard presence at Harrisburg in the form of Harrisburg Air National Guard Station and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 193rd Special Operations Wing, an Air Force Special Operations Command -gained unit flying the EC-130 Commando Solo aircraft.
• Harrisburg International Airport is a public airport in Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg.
• The terminal has 12 gates and is a pier finger lay out near the middle of the airfield, almost parallel to the runway.
• A new 360,000 square-foot terminal was completed in 2004.
• The furthest airport from Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,654 miles (18,755 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• The closest airport to Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Great Falls International Airport (GTF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of GFA.
• The 801st Radar Squadron was inactivated on 31 December 1969 due to budget reductions.
• Later, the 517th Air Transport Wing was redesginated the 1701st Air Transport Wing on 1 June 1948 when Air Transport Command was redesignated the Military Air Transport Service.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• On 3 July 1963, following 28 months of construction, the wing and its three squadrons became operational.
• DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
• Aircraft shipments to the Soviet Union stopped in September 1945, when World War II ended, with approximately 8,000 aircraft having been processed in a 21-month period.
• Originally named Great Falls Army Air Base, later Great Falls Air Force Base, the facility was renamed Malmstrom Air Force Base on 1 October 1955 in honor of Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom.
• After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
• In 1957, under the control of the 801st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, the Malmstrom AFB radar station became operational with AN/FPS-20 search and AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars.
• The furthest airport from Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.