Nonstop flight route between La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain and Great Falls, Montana, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SPC to GFA:
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- About this route
- SPC Airport Information
- GFA Airport Information
- Facts about SPC
- Facts about GFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPC
- List of Nearest Airports to SPC
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPC
- List of Furthest Airports from SPC
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFA
- List of Nearest Airports to GFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFA
- List of Furthest Airports from GFA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between La Palma Airport (SPC), La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,938 miles (or 7,947 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 La Palma Airport and Malmstrom Air Force Base, 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 La Palma Airport and Malmstrom Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPC / GCLA |
| Airport Name: | La Palma Airport |
| Location: | La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain |
| GPS Coordinates: | 28°37'35"N by 17°45'20"W |
| Area Served: | La Palma |
| Operator/Owner: | Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 108 feet (33 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPC |
| More Information: | SPC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFA / KGFA |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Great Falls, Montana, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 47°30'16"N by 111°11'13"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from GFA |
| More Information: | GFA Maps & Info |
Facts about La Palma Airport (SPC):
- The closest airport to La Palma Airport (SPC) is La Gomera Airport (GMZ), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) SE of SPC.
- Because of La Palma Airport's relatively low elevation of 108 feet, planes can take off or land at La Palma 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 furthest airport from La Palma Airport (SPC) is Lord Howe Island Airport (LDH), which is nearly antipodal to La Palma Airport (meaning La Palma Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Lord Howe Island Airport), and is located 12,161 miles (19,570 kilometers) away in Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia.
- La Palma Airport (SPC) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
- Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
- The furthest airport from Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
- Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union increased dramatically when the Soviet Union closed all land travel between the western occupation sectors of Germany and the American, French and British sectors of Berlin.
- On 18 December 1953, Great Falls AFB was transferred from Military Air Transport Service to Strategic Air Command, although MATS units remained at the base for several years.
- The closest airport to Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Great Falls International Airport (GTF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of GFA.
- In 1959 a SAGE data center was established at Malmstrom.
