Nonstop flight route between Shelby, Montana, United States and Spokane, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shelby Airport (SBX), Shelby, Montana, United States and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 275 miles (or 442 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 Shelby Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Shelby Airport (SBX):

• The furthest airport from Shelby Airport (SBX) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,449 miles (16,816 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Shelby Airport (SBX) is Cut Bank Municipal AirportCut Bank Army Air Field (CTB), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) WNW of SBX.
• Shelby Airport (SBX) has 2 runways.

Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):

• Fairchild Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately 12 miles southwest of Spokane, Washington.
• Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, a total of 560 base personnel deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 to March 1991.
• 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.
• In June 1992, with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command, the B-52 portion of the wing became part of the newly established Air Combat Command and was re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing.
• On 20 June 1994, Dean Mellberg, an ex-Air Force member, entered the base hospital and shot and killed four people and wounded 23 others.
• 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.
• As military operations in Vietnam escalated in the mid-1960s, the demand for air refueling increased.
• 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.
• On 23 January 1987, following the inactivation of the 47th Air Division at Fairchild, the 92nd Bombardment Wing was reassigned to the 57th Air Division at Minot AFB, North Dakota.
• In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".