Nonstop flight route between Kitaakita, Akita, Japan and Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Odate-Noshiro Airport (ONJ), Kitaakita, Akita, Japan and Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,395 miles (or 8,682 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 Odate-Noshiro Airport 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 Odate-Noshiro Airport 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 Odate-Noshiro Airport (ONJ):

• Because of Odate-Noshiro Airport's relatively low elevation of 276 feet, planes can take off or land at Odate-Noshiro 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 Odate-Noshiro Airport (ONJ) is Akita Airport (AXT), which is located 41 miles (65 kilometers) SSW of ONJ.
• Odate-Noshiro Airport (ONJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Odate-Noshiro Airport (ONJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,542 miles (18,575 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• In addition to being known as "Odate-Noshiro Airport", other names for ONJ include "大館能代空港" and "Odate-Noshiro Kūkō".

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• Due to the continuance of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, GFAFB was originally an Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor air base.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• On 18 February 1957, the 478th Fighter Group was activated at Grand Forks.
• During 1965, the wing’s three missile squadrons were activated and crew training and certification began at Vandenberg AFB in southern California.
• In addition to the interceptor squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center was established at Grand Forks in 1958.
• 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.
• In 1973, the 319th Bomb Wing acquired the AGM-69 Short Range Attack Missile, replacing the older AGM-28 Hound Dog air-to-ground missile aboard its B-52H aircraft.
• Survey teams selected sites in flat wheatlands close to the Canada-Minnesota border, north-northwest of Grand Forks.
• 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.