Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Blythe, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from TCM to BLH:
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- About this route
- TCM Airport Information
- BLH Airport Information
- Facts about TCM
- Facts about BLH
- Map of Nearest Airports to TCM
- List of Nearest Airports to TCM
- Map of Furthest Airports from TCM
- List of Furthest Airports from TCM
- Map of Nearest Airports to BLH
- List of Nearest Airports to BLH
- Map of Furthest Airports from BLH
- List of Furthest Airports from BLH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,019 miles (or 1,639 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 relatively short distance between McChord Field/McChord AFB and Blythe Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | TCM / KTCM |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 47°8'16"N by 122°28'35"W |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military: Air Force Base |
| Elevation: | 322 feet (98 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from TCM |
| More Information: | TCM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BLH / KBLH |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Blythe, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°36'52"N by 114°42'47"W |
| Area Served: | Blythe, California |
| Operator/Owner: | County of Riverside |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 399 feet (122 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BLH |
| More Information: | BLH Maps & Info |
Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):
- 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.
- McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
- Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the 17th Bombardment Group flew anti-submarine patrols off the west coast of the United States with the new North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.
- The ADC radar site was deactivated 1 April 1960 and repositioned to Fort Lawton AFS where the Air Force consolidated its anti-aircraft radars with the United States Army Seattle Defense Area Army Air-Defense Command Post S-90DC for Nike missile operations.
- In 1947 Tactical Air Command moved the 62d Troop Carrier Group to McChord Field from Bergstrom Field, Texas.
- The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
- 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.
- 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.
- The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
Facts about Blythe Airport (BLH):
- Blythe was served by Bonanza Air Lines with Fairchild F-27s to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson and other cities.
- The closest airport to Blythe Airport (BLH) is Laguna Army Airfield (LGF), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) SSE of BLH.
- Blythe Army Air Field later became a sub-base of Muroc Army Air Field on 30 June 1945, and was inactivated on 18 October 1945, although during October–December 1946, the 477th Composite Group used the airfield for desert maneuvers, flying B-25 Mitchells.
- The furthest airport from Blythe Airport (BLH) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,472 miles (18,462 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The 46th Bombardment Group and later the 85th Bombardment Group occupied the field during the CAMA days and flew a variety of planes including A-31 Vengeances and A-36 Apaches.
- At its peak in December, 1943 the base had a population just short of 8000 uniformed and civilian personnel.
- In addition to being known as "Blythe Airport", another name for BLH is "(former Blythe Army Air Field)".
- Blythe Airport (BLH) has 2 runways.
- Because of Blythe Airport's relatively low elevation of 399 feet, planes can take off or land at Blythe 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.
- It never served Blythe, but Pacific Southwest Airlines conducted jet training flights from the Blythe Airport on occasion.
- The airport was leased by the United States Army in 1942 and between 1942 and 1944, the U.S.
