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 McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,405 miles (or 5,480 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB, 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB. 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".
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• During 1952 and 1953, the 62nd airlifted troops, blood plasma, aircraft parts, ammunition, medical supplies, and much more, to the Far East, in support of the war in Korea.
• Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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 325th Fighter Group operated two squadrons of F-82F Twin Mustangs from McChord between 1948 and 1950, the first postwar fighter optimized for the air defense interceptor mission.
• On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
• Following the end of the war in Europe, McChord redeployed thousands of troops arriving from the European theater to the Pacific as part of Air Transport Command.