Nonstop flight route between Spokane, Washington, United States and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States and St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport (YCM), St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,872 miles (or 3,013 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 Fairchild Air Force Base and St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):

• 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.
• With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, both groups deployed to Japan and Guam.
• 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".
• 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 closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
• Over 5,100 active duty Air Force, Air National Guard, and tenant organization military and civilian employees work on Fairchild, making the base the largest employer in Eastern Washington.
• 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 13 March 1987, a KC-135A crashed into a field adjacent to the 92nd Bomb Wing headquarters and the taxiway during a practice flight for an In-Flight Refueling Demonstration planned for later that month.
• 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.

Facts about St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport (YCM):

• Niagara District Airport, established and operated by Haney Repair Service of St.
• St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport (YCM) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport (YCM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,437 miles (18,406 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Being located adjacent to the Welland Ship Canal, one mile from the main line of the C.N.R.
• The closest airport to St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport (YCM) is Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) ESE of YCM.
• Because of St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport's relatively low elevation of 321 feet, planes can take off or land at St. Catharines/Niagara District 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 primarily serves general aviation aircraft, but it is not unusual to see chartered aircraft delivering passengers to waiting limousines for a ride to the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort or other local attractions.
• It is also not unusual to see Royal Canadian Air Force search and rescue aircraft on the ramp refueling while on search and rescue or training missions in the region.