Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Changsha, Hunan, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX), Changsha, Hunan, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,842 miles (or 11,012 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 Changsha Huanghua International Airport, 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 Changsha Huanghua International Airport. 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):

• 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.
• Opened 57 years ago in early 1957, the base's current host unit is the 319th Air Base Wing assigned to the Expeditionary Center of the Air Mobility Command.
• In addition to the interceptor squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center was established at Grand Forks in 1958.
• In October 1977, the PAR came under operational control of the USAF, which operated it thereafter as part of its early warning system.
• During the Cold War, GFAFB was a major installation of the Strategic Air Command, with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.
• 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 addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• 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.
• 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 1 November 1964, 321st Strategic Missile Wing was organized as the Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile wing at GFAFB, the first in SAC.
• On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.

Facts about Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX):

• Because of Changsha Huanghua International Airport's relatively low elevation of 217 feet, planes can take off or land at Changsha Huanghua International 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 old terminal covers an area of 33,000 square meters and consists of concourses A, B, and C.
• The closest airport to Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX) is Yichun Mingyueshan Airport (YIC), which is located 72 miles (115 kilometers) ESE of CSX.
• In addition to being known as "Changsha Huanghua International Airport", other names for CSX include "长沙黄花国际机场" and "Chángshā Huánghuā Guójì Jīchǎng".
• Changsha Huanghua International Airport handled 13,684,731 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX) is Coronel Felipe Varela International Airport (CTC), which is nearly antipodal to Changsha Huanghua International Airport (meaning Changsha Huanghua International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Coronel Felipe Varela International Airport), and is located 12,369 miles (19,905 kilometers) away in Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina.
• Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX) currently has only 1 runway.