Nonstop flight route between São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina, Brazil and Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hélio Wasum Airport (SQX), São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina, Brazil and Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,837 miles (or 9,394 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 Hélio Wasum Airport and Grand Forks 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 Hélio Wasum Airport and Grand Forks Air Force Base. 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 Hélio Wasum Airport (SQX):

• Hélio Wasum Airport (SQX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Hélio Wasum Airport", another name for SQX is "Aeroporto Hélio Wasum".
• The closest airport to Hélio Wasum Airport (SQX) is Paulo Abdala Airport (FBE), which is located 57 miles (91 kilometers) NNE of SQX.
• The furthest airport from Hélio Wasum Airport (SQX) is Aguni Airport (AGJ), which is nearly antipodal to Hélio Wasum Airport (meaning Hélio Wasum Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aguni Airport), and is located 12,389 miles (19,938 kilometers) away in Aguni, Japan.

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• The closest airport to Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) E of RDR.
• During the Cold War, GFAFB was a major installation of the Strategic Air Command, with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.
• In addition to the interceptor squadrons, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center was established at Grand Forks in 1958.
• On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
• The furthest airport from Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,504 miles (16,904 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• Due to the continuance of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, GFAFB was originally an Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor air base.
• In October 1977, the PAR came under operational control of the USAF, which operated it thereafter as part of its early warning system.
• The 319th transitioned from B-52H to re-engined B-52G aircraft in 1983, and added the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile in 1984.