Nonstop flight route between Mianwali, Pakistan and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from MWD to GRF:
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- About this route
- MWD Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about MWD
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to MWD
- List of Nearest Airports to MWD
- Map of Furthest Airports from MWD
- List of Furthest Airports from MWD
- 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 PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD), Mianwali, Pakistan and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,864 miles (or 11,047 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 PAF Base M.M. Alam 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 PAF Base M.M. Alam 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: | MWD / OPMI |
| Airport Name: | PAF Base M.M. Alam |
| Location: | Mianwali, Pakistan |
| GPS Coordinates: | 32°33'47"N by 71°34'14"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Pakistan Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 690 feet (210 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MWD |
| More Information: | MWD 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 PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD):
- The airbase was renamed as "PAF Base M.M.
- Because of PAF Base M.M. Alam's relatively low elevation of 690 feet, planes can take off or land at PAF Base M.M. Alam 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 PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD) is Dera Ismail Khan Airport (DSK), which is located 60 miles (96 kilometers) SW of MWD.
- PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is nearly antipodal to PAF Base M.M. Alam (meaning PAF Base M.M. Alam is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mataveri International Airport), and is located 12,059 miles (19,407 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
- The airbase was again upgraded to a permanent operational airbase in August 1974, although construction of facilities was not completed for another three years.
Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):
- During the Vietnam War, GAAF not only trained helicopter units, but fixed-wing aircraft units as well.
- 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.
- August 1984 saw GAAF become one of few test centers for the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
- With World War II, Gray Army Airfield received 1.7 million dollars for new hangars and improved facilities.
- 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.
- It should not confused with Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood in Texas.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- 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 Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.
- The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
- 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.
- Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
- During the Korean War, GAAF continued in the role as a training and division support field.
