Nonstop flight route between Rifle, Colorado, United States and Spokane, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
![Get maps and more information about Garfield County Regional Airport Get airport maps and more information about Garfield County Regional Airport](images/takeoff-icon.gif)
Arrival Airport:
![Get maps and more information about Fairchild Air Force Base Get airport maps and more information about Fairchild Air Force Base](images/landing-icon.gif)
Distance from RIL to SKA:
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- About this route
- RIL Airport Information
- SKA Airport Information
- Facts about RIL
- Facts about SKA
- Map of Nearest Airports to RIL
- List of Nearest Airports to RIL
- Map of Furthest Airports from RIL
- List of Furthest Airports from RIL
- Map of Nearest Airports to SKA
- List of Nearest Airports to SKA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SKA
- List of Furthest Airports from SKA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL), Rifle, Colorado, United States and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 747 miles (or 1,202 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 Garfield County Regional Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RIL / KRIL |
Airport Name: | Garfield County Regional Airport |
Location: | Rifle, Colorado, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 39°31'35"N by 107°43'36"W |
Area Served: | Garfield County, Colorado |
Operator/Owner: | Garfield County |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5548 feet (1,691 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from RIL |
More Information: | RIL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SKA / KSKA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Spokane, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°36'54"N by 117°39'20"W |
View all routes: | Routes from SKA |
More Information: | SKA Maps & Info |
Facts about Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL):
- Because of Garfield County Regional Airport's high elevation of 5,548 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at RIL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make RIL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The closest airport to Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL) is Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) E of RIL.
- Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,972 miles (17,657 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):
- The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
- Since 1942, Fairchild Air Force Base/Station has been a key part of the United States' defense strategy—from World War II repair depot, to Strategic Air Command bomber wing during the Cold War, to Air Mobility Command air refueling wing during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
- Fairchild AFB was established in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot.
- On 1 July 1994, the 92d Bomb Wing was re-designated the 92d Air Refueling Wing, and Fairchild AFB was transferred from ACC to Air Mobility Command in a ceremony marking the creation of the largest air refueling wing in the Air Force.
- In late 1974, the Air Force announced plans to convert the 141st Fighter Interceptor Group of the Washington Air National Guard, an F-101 Voodoo unit at Geiger Field, to an air refueling mission with KC-135 aircraft.
- The weapons storage area for the bombers was located south of the runway at Deep Creek Air Force Station, a separate installation constructed from 1950 to 1953 by the Atomic Energy Commission and operated by the Air Materiel Command.
- To provide air defense of the base, U.S.
- The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".