Nonstop flight route between Stoelmans Eiland, Suriname and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ), Stoelmans Eiland, Suriname and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,979 miles (or 8,012 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 Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip 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 Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip 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 Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ):

• The closest airport to Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ) is Drietabbetje Airstrip (DRJ), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) SW of SMZ.
• Because of Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip's relatively low elevation of 187 feet, planes can take off or land at Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip 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 furthest airport from Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ) is Namrole Airport (NRE), which is nearly antipodal to Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (meaning Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Namrole Airport), and is located 12,353 miles (19,880 kilometers) away in Buru, Indonesia.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
• Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
• The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
• 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.
• Reactivated following service in Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division aviation units occupied GAAF in 1972.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• 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.
• The Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.
• The Air Transport Command.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The 1938 construction included two paved runways, a boiler plant, headquarters building, metal balloon hangar, six-plane hangar, corrugated-iron hangar, storehouse, flight-surgeon office, and film-storage building.