Nonstop flight route between Rockland, Maine, United States and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Knox County Regional Airport (RKD), Rockland, Maine, United States and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,539 miles (or 4,086 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 Knox County Regional Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB, 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 Knox County Regional Airport and McChord Field/McChord AFB. 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 Knox County Regional Airport (RKD):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 13,866 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 14,461 enplanements in 2009, and 17,657 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Knox County Regional Airport (RKD) is Wiscasset Airport (ISS), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) WSW of RKD.
• After the war, it was operated by the City of Rockland until 1968.
• Knox County Regional Airport (RKD) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Knox County Regional Airport (RKD) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,708 miles (18,842 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Knox County Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 56 feet, planes can take off or land at Knox County Regional 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 airport was built during World War II and became locally known as the "Ash Point Naval Air Station" while officially operating as Rockland Naval Auxiliary Air Facility from April 15, 1943 until February 1, 1946.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• Starting in mid-1943 the training of B-17 and B-24 replacement crews began to be phased out, as the Second Air Force began ramping up training of B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomb groups, destined for Twentieth Air Force.
• Today, the successor organization to the 25th AD, the Western Air Defense Sector, is a major tenant organization at McChord, being one of two air defense sectors responsible for the security and integrity of continental United States air space.
• Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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.
• Part of Air Mobility Command
• On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
• The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
• SeADS was inactivated on 1 April 1966 and the SAGE headquarters combat center came under the 25th Air Division.
• The furthest airport from McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.