Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Klawock, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Klawock Airport (KLW), Klawock, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,593 miles (or 2,563 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base and Klawock Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 4133d SW was redesignated as the 319th Bombardment Wing on 1 February 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 810th Strategic Aerospace Division.
• In March 1995, the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission selected the 321st Strategic Missile Wing for inactivation.
• On 3 November 1967, the Department of Defense revealed that GFAFB was one of 10 initial locations to host a Sentinel Anti-Ballistic Missile site.
• Survey teams selected sites in flat wheatlands close to the Canada-Minnesota border, north-northwest of Grand Forks.
• 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 1971, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated and the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron replaced the unit.

Facts about Klawock Airport (KLW):

• Because of Klawock Airport's relatively low elevation of 80 feet, planes can take off or land at Klawock 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 Klawock Airport (KLW) is Craig Seaplane Base (CGA), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSW of KLW.
• Klawock Airport has one asphalt paved runway designated 2/20 which measures 5,000 by 100 feet.
• As the pilot applied the brakes, the airplane veered to the left, and he was unable to keep the plane on the runway surface.
• In addition to being known as "Klawock Airport", another name for KLW is "AKW".
• Klawock Airport (KLW) currently has only 1 runway.
• The FAA inspector said that during the last main landing gear overhaul, the operator elected to re-install the old style aluminum alloy oleo attachment brackets, primarily due to the cost of the new style steel oleo attachment brackets.
• The furthest airport from Klawock Airport (KLW) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 10,638 miles (17,120 kilometers) away in Port Alfred, South Africa.
• During a post-accident inspection, maintenance personnel discovered a broken landing gear oleo attachment bracket on the left main landing gear strut assembly.