Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Murcia, Spain:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV), Murcia, Spain would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,614 miles (or 7,426 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 Murcia–San Javier 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 Murcia–San Javier 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):

• 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 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.
• During 1965, the wing’s three missile squadrons were activated and crew training and certification began at Vandenberg AFB in southern California.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV):

• The furthest airport from Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV) is Gisborne Airport (GIS), which is nearly antipodal to Murcia–San Javier Airport (meaning Murcia–San Javier Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Gisborne Airport), and is located 12,347 miles (19,870 kilometers) away in Gisborne, New Zealand.
• Murcia–San Javier Airport is a military air base and civilian passenger airport located in San Javier, 17 miles southeast of Murcia, Spain.
• Because of Murcia–San Javier Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Murcia–San Javier 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.
• Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Murcia–San Javier Airport", another name for MJV is "Aeropuerto de Murcia-San Javier".
• The closest airport to Murcia–San Javier Airport (MJV) is Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC), which is located 38 miles (61 kilometers) NNE of MJV.
• In light of the development of the new International airport of the Region of Murcia in Corvera, and despite the recent investment of €60 million in a new runway and commercial terminal buildings, in November 2011 the Minister of Public Works Antonio Sevilla, and Secretary of State for Transport Isaías Táboas, signed an official agreement that effectively proposed to close the airport to commercial traffic from summer 2012.