Nonstop flight route between Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States and Grootfontein, Namibia:
Departure Airport:
(34°44'43"N by 87°36'37"W)
Arrival Airport:
(19°36'6"S by 18°7'20"E)
Distance from MSL to GFY:
7,852.22 miles (12,636.88 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- MSL Airport Information
- GFY Airport Information
- Facts about MSL
- Facts about GFY
- Map of Nearest Airports to MSL
- List of Nearest Airports to MSL
- Map of Furthest Airports from MSL
- List of Furthest Airports from MSL
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFY
- List of Nearest Airports to GFY
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFY
- List of Furthest Airports from GFY
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL), Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States and Grootfontein Airport (GFY), Grootfontein, Namibia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,852 miles (or 12,637 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 Northwest Alabama Regional Airport and Grootfontein Airport, 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 Northwest Alabama Regional Airport and Grootfontein Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MSL / KMSL |
| Airport Name: | Northwest Alabama Regional Airport |
| Location: | Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 34°44'43"N by 87°36'37"W |
| Area Served: | Muscle Shoals, Alabama |
| Operator/Owner: | Colbert & Lauderdale Counties |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 551 feet (168 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MSL |
| More Information: | MSL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFY / FYGF |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Grootfontein, Namibia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 19°36'6"S by 18°7'20"E |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 4636 feet (1,413 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from GFY |
| More Information: | GFY Maps & Info |
Facts about Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL):
- Instruction at the school consisted of teaching the cadets to fly in formation, fly by instruments or by aerial navigation, fly at night, and fly for long distances.
- Pilot training at the airfield apparently ended on May 30, 1944, with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program.
- Northwest Alabama Regional Airport covers an area of 640 acres at an elevation of 551 feet above mean sea level.
- Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) has 2 runways.
- Because of Northwest Alabama Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 551 feet, planes can take off or land at Northwest Alabama Regional 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 Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) is Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU), which is located 38 miles (62 kilometers) E of MSL.
- The furthest airport from Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,143 miles (17,932 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Grootfontein Airport (GFY):
- In addition to being known as "Grootfontein Airport", another name for GFY is "Grootfontein Airport".
- Because of Grootfontein Airport's high elevation of 4,636 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GFY. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GFY a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The closest airport to Grootfontein Airport (GFY) is Halali Airport (HAL), which is located 115 miles (186 kilometers) WNW of GFY.
- The furthest airport from Grootfontein Airport (GFY) is PMRF Barking Sands (BKH), which is nearly antipodal to Grootfontein Airport (meaning Grootfontein Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from PMRF Barking Sands), and is located 12,222 miles (19,669 kilometers) away in Kekaha, Hawaii, United States.
- Grootfontein Airport (GFY) has 2 runways.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 38.30 miles (61.63 km) E | Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU) | Decatur, Alabama, United States |     |
| 2 | 48.04 miles (77.31 km) E | Huntsville International Airport (HSV) | Huntsville / Decatur, Alabama, United States | |
| 3 | 48.69 miles (78.35 km) SSW | Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport (HAB) | Hamilton, Alabama, United States | |
| 4 | 52.77 miles (84.92 km) E | Redstone Army Airfield (AAF) (HUA) | Redstone Arsenal (near Huntsville), Alabama, United States | |
| 5 | 57.54 miles (92.61 km) WNW | Roscoe Turner Airport (CRX) | Corinth, Mississippi, United States | |
| 6 | 60.98 miles (98.14 km) NNE | Maury County Airport (MRC) | Columbia/Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, United States | |
| 7 | 63.15 miles (101.63 km) ENE | Fayetteville Municipal Airport (FYM) | Fayetteville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 8 | 73.81 miles (118.78 km) WSW | Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP) | Tupelo, Mississippi, United States | |
| 9 | 76.02 miles (122.34 km) N | Centerville Municipal Airport (GHM) | Centerville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 10 | 86.70 miles (139.52 km) NE | Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI) | Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 11 | 88.71 miles (142.77 km) ENE | Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA) | Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States | |
| 12 | 89.78 miles (144.49 km) SSW | Columbus Air Force Base (CBM) | Columbus, Mississippi, United States | |
| 13 | 94.44 miles (151.99 km) NW | McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) | Jackson, Tennessee, United States | |
| 14 | 95.23 miles (153.26 km) SSE | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |
| 15 | 98.80 miles (159.01 km) SSW | Columbus-Lowndes County Airport (UBS) | Columbus, Mississippi, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,142.65 miles (17,932.31 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,122.93 miles (17,900.57 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,103.49 miles (17,869.29 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,090.79 miles (17,848.85 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 11,087.23 miles (17,843.13 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 11,084.36 miles (17,838.50 km) W | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 11,072.96 miles (17,820.15 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 11,066.34 miles (17,809.50 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 11,065.40 miles (17,807.98 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 11,059.28 miles (17,798.14 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 11,036.88 miles (17,762.10 km) WSW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 11,012.40 miles (17,722.70 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 11,003.51 miles (17,708.39 km) W | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 10,999.24 miles (17,701.51 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,995.36 miles (17,695.27 km) W | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 115.45 miles (185.80 km) WNW | Halali Airport (HAL) | Halali, Namibia | |
| 2 | 154.40 miles (248.48 km) NE | Rundu Airport (NDU) | Rundu, Okavango Region, Namibia | |
| 3 | 203.81 miles (328.00 km) SSW | Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) | Windhoek, Namibia | |
| 4 | 206.00 miles (331.52 km) ENE | Dirico Airport (DRC) | Dirico, Angola | |
| 5 | 208.18 miles (335.03 km) SSE | Gobabis Airport (GOG) | Gobabis, Namibia | |
| 6 | 218.56 miles (351.74 km) SSW | Eros Airport (ERS) | Windhoek, Namibia | |
| 7 | 270.41 miles (435.18 km) ESE | Ghanzi Airport (GNZ) | Ghanzi, Botswana | |
| 8 | 283.04 miles (455.51 km) SW | Arandis Airport (ADI) | Arandis / Swakopmund, Namibia | |
| 9 | 285.72 miles (459.82 km) NW | Vila Roçadas/Xangongo Airport (XGN) | Xangongo, Angola | |
| 10 | 314.36 miles (505.92 km) NNE | Cuito Cuanavale Airport (CTI) | Cuito Cuanavale, Angola | |
| 11 | 323.35 miles (520.38 km) SW | Walvis Bay Airport (WVB) | Walvis Bay, Namibia | |
| 12 | 346.07 miles (556.94 km) E | Maun Airport (MUB) | Maun, Botswana | |
| 13 | 382.45 miles (615.49 km) SE | Hukuntsi Airport (HUK) | Hukuntsi, Botswana | |
| 14 | 419.02 miles (674.34 km) ENE | Katima Mulilo Airport (MPA) | Katima Mulilo, Namibia | |
| 15 | 423.06 miles (680.84 km) NNE | Cangamba Airport (CNZ) | Cangamba, Angola | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,221.77 miles (19,668.98 km) NW | PMRF Barking Sands (BKH) | Kekaha, Hawaii, United States | |
| 2 | 12,220.61 miles (19,667.12 km) NW | Port Allen Airport (PAK) | Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States | |
| 3 | 12,204.87 miles (19,641.78 km) NW | Lihue Airport (LIH) | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | |
| 4 | 12,197.88 miles (19,630.53 km) NW | Princeville Airport (HPV) | Hanalei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 5 | 12,163.63 miles (19,575.42 km) WNW | Kalaeloa Airport (NAX) | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 6 | 12,162.35 miles (19,573.36 km) WNW | Dillingham Airfield (HDH) | Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States | |
| 7 | 12,156.50 miles (19,563.94 km) WNW | Wheeler AAF (HHI) | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 8 | 12,154.65 miles (19,560.97 km) WNW | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 9 | 12,154.65 miles (19,560.97 km) WNW | Hickam Field (HIK) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 10 | 12,109.14 miles (19,487.72 km) WNW | Molokai Airport (MKK) | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | |
| 11 | 12,107.08 miles (19,484.40 km) WNW | Lanai Airport (LNY) | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | |
| 12 | 12,100.36 miles (19,473.59 km) WNW | Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 13 | 12,086.66 miles (19,451.55 km) WNW | Kapalua Airport (JHM) | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | |
| 14 | 12,072.55 miles (19,428.84 km) WNW | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | |
| 15 | 12,057.27 miles (19,404.24 km) W | Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) | Kailua / Kona, Hawaii, United States | |