Nonstop flight route between Salles-La-Source, Aveyron, France and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rodez–Aveyron Airport (RDZ), Salles-La-Source, Aveyron, France and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,288 miles (or 8,510 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 Rodez–Aveyron Airport and Gray Army Airfield, 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 Rodez–Aveyron Airport and Gray Army Airfield. 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 Rodez–Aveyron Airport (RDZ):

• In addition to being known as "Rodez–Aveyron Airport", another name for RDZ is "Aéroport de Rodez–Aveyron".
• Rodez–Aveyron Airport (RDZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Rodez–Aveyron Airport (RDZ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Rodez–Aveyron Airport (meaning Rodez–Aveyron Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,370 miles (19,907 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Rodez–Aveyron Airport handled 73,000 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Rodez–Aveyron Airport (RDZ) is Aurillac – Tronquières Airport (AUR), which is located 34 miles (55 kilometers) N of RDZ.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• The closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
• The Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.
• The furthest airport from Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,809 miles (17,395 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Because of Gray Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 300 feet, planes can take off or land at Gray Army Airfield 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.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In October 1921 Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes flew from the Naval Station at Sand Point to a grass airfield at what was then called "Camp Lewis", located at a site just west of today’s Gray AAF.
• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• It should not confused with Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood in Texas.