Nonstop flight route between Mineral Wells, Texas, United States and Great Falls, Montana, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MWL to GFA:
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- About this route
- MWL Airport Information
- GFA Airport Information
- Facts about MWL
- Facts about GFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to MWL
- List of Nearest Airports to MWL
- Map of Furthest Airports from MWL
- List of Furthest Airports from MWL
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFA
- List of Nearest Airports to GFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFA
- List of Furthest Airports from GFA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Mineral Wells Airport (MWL), Mineral Wells, Texas, United States and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,227 miles (or 1,975 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 Mineral Wells Airport and Malmstrom Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MWL / KMWL |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Mineral Wells, Texas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°46'54"N by 98°3'37"W |
Area Served: | Mineral Wells, Texas |
Operator/Owner: | City of Mineral Wells |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 974 feet (297 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from MWL |
More Information: | MWL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFA / KGFA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Great Falls, Montana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°30'16"N by 111°11'13"W |
View all routes: | Routes from GFA |
More Information: | GFA Maps & Info |
Facts about Mineral Wells Airport (MWL):
- Local businessmen purchased the land and facilities and converted them to private use.
- Mineral Wells Airport (MWL) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Mineral Wells Airport (MWL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,980 miles (17,670 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Because of Mineral Wells Airport's relatively low elevation of 974 feet, planes can take off or land at Mineral Wells 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.
- A portion of the land was transferred by the United States government to the state of Texas for development as part of Lake Mineral Wells State Park.
- In addition to being known as "Mineral Wells Airport", other names for MWL include "(former Wolters Air Force Base)" and "(former Wolters Army Airfield)".
- The closest airport to Mineral Wells Airport (MWL) is Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (FWH), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) E of MWL.
- In September 1956 the base became the Primary Helicopter Center directed by the United States Army.
- Mineral Wells donated 50 acres of land, leased 2,300 acres, and in World War II provided land to increase the camp's area to 7,500 acres.
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, United States.
- Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls AFB.
- This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- 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.
- After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
- Upon completion of the B-17 training program, in October 1943, Great Falls Army Air Base was transferred to the Air Transport Command and units from Gore Field were transferred to the base.
- On 21 August 1954 the 407th SFW Vice Commander, Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom, died when his T-33 Shooting Star trainer crashed approximately one mile west of the Great Falls Municipal Airport.
- 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.
- 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.
- By 1954, several aircraft control and warning squadrons had been formed at the base.