Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Dire Dawa, Ethiopia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR), Dire Dawa, Ethiopia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,744 miles (or 12,464 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma 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):

• 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 March 1995, the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission selected the 321st Strategic Missile Wing for inactivation.
• In October 1977, the PAR came under operational control of the USAF, which operated it thereafter as part of its early warning system.
• 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.
• 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 the interceptor squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center was established at Grand Forks in 1958.
• Survey teams selected sites in flat wheatlands close to the Canada-Minnesota border, north-northwest of Grand Forks.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• On 3 September 1974, the SAFSCOM Site Activation Team was relieved by the U.S.
• 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 Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR):

• In addition to being known as "Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport", another name for DIR is "አባ ጤና ደጃዝማች ይልማ ዓለም አቀፍ የአየር ማረፊያ".
• The furthest airport from Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (meaning Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• The airport was named after Emperor Haile Selassie's elder half-brother, Dejazmach Yilma Makonnen, who preceded him as governor of Harar.
• The closest airport to Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) is Wilwal International Airport (JIJ), which is located 75 miles (120 kilometers) ESE of DIR.
• On 27 August 1981, Douglas C-47B ET-AGX of RRC Air Services was written off when the port undercarriage collapsed on landing.
• Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport (DIR) currently has only 1 runway.