Nonstop flight route between Mianwali, Pakistan and Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD), Mianwali, Pakistan and Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,831 miles (or 10,994 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base, 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base. 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 PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD):

• PAF Base M.M. Alam (MWD) has 2 runways.
• Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force was the Chief Guest at the occasion.
• 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.
• Originally a World War II airstrip, it was decided that Mianwali would be upgraded into a satellite airbase for PAF Base Mushaf during the 1965 Indo-Pak War to act as an alternate recovery airfield.
• 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.
• 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 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• The furthest airport from Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,504 miles (16,904 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Grand Forks AFB is the home of the Air Mobility Command's 319th Air Base Wing.
• The DC-11 SAGE blockhouse was later the headquarters of the SAC 321st Strategic Missile Wing.
• During 1965, the wing’s three missile squadrons were activated and crew training and certification began at Vandenberg AFB in southern California.
• The closest airport to Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) E of RDR.
• In October 1977, the PAR came under operational control of the USAF, which operated it thereafter as part of its early warning system.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".