Nonstop flight route between Mérida, Venezuela and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD), Mérida, Venezuela and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,011 miles (or 6,455 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 Alberto Carnevalli 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 Alberto Carnevalli 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 Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD):

• Because of Alberto Carnevalli Airport's high elevation of 5,007 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MRD. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MRD a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD) is Tunggul Wulung Airport (CXP), which is nearly antipodal to Alberto Carnevalli Airport (meaning Alberto Carnevalli Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tunggul Wulung Airport), and is located 12,370 miles (19,907 kilometers) away in Cilacap, Java Island, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD) is Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso Airport (VIG), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) W of MRD.
• In addition to being known as "Alberto Carnevalli Airport", another name for MRD is "Aeropuerto Alberto Carnevalli".
• Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• Camp Lewis advocates pushed for it to be a major dirigible and fixed-wing field.
• 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.
• 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 91st Observation Squadron and aircraft of the 3rd Balloon Squadron operated out of the Fort Lewis airfield.
• With World War II, Gray Army Airfield received 1.7 million dollars for new hangars and improved facilities.
• 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.
• August 1984 saw GAAF become one of few test centers for the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
• 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.
• The Air Transport Command.
• 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.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.