Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ), Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,177 miles (or 14,769 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base and Bairnsdale Aerodrome, 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base and Bairnsdale Aerodrome. 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 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.
• On 26 May 1972, President Nixon and Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the ABM Treaty, which limited each nation to one site to protect strategic forces and one site to protect the "National Command Authority." With work about 85 percent complete at Grand Forks, the United States chose to finish construction at the North Dakota site.
• On 18 February 1957, the 478th Fighter Group was activated at Grand Forks.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• 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 1971, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated and the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron replaced the unit.
• The 319th transitioned from B-52H to re-engined B-52G aircraft in 1983, and added the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile in 1984.

Facts about Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ):

• The closest airport to Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ) is Mount Hotham Airport (MHU), which is located 59 miles (96 kilometers) NNW of BSJ.
• Because of Bairnsdale Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 165 feet, planes can take off or land at Bairnsdale Aerodrome 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.
• Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Bairnsdale Aerodrome (meaning Bairnsdale Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,308 miles (19,807 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.