Nonstop flight route between San José, Costa Rica and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ), San José, Costa Rica and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,407 miles (or 5,483 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 Tobías Bolaños International Airport 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 Tobías Bolaños International Airport 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 Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ):

• In addition to being known as "Tobías Bolaños International Airport", another name for SYQ is "Aeropuerto Internacional Tobías Bolaños".
• Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) is Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) (SJO), which is located only 5 miles (9 kilometers) WNW of SYQ.
• The furthest airport from Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Tobías Bolaños International Airport (meaning Tobías Bolaños International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,269 miles (19,745 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• After the Korean War, the 2d Aviation Company, of the 2d Infantry Division, which had been the first helicopter unit in Korea, returned to Fort Lewis with observation/spotter aircraft L-19 Bird Dogs, and L-20 Beavers, as well as H-23 Raven helicopters.
• GAAF units have served in Iraq with Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, returning from a 15 month deployment on April 17, 2004.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• Used to support Fort Lewis, Army helicopters assisted with medical evacuations at Mount Rainier National Park on numerous occasions in the 1970s.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• The Air Transport Command.
• The Army Air Force closed its facilities in 1947.
• 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.
• 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.