Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Popayán, Colombia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN), Popayán, Colombia would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,124 miles (or 6,638 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport, 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport. 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• During the International Geophysical Year 1957–1958, and subsequently through 1962 the 62d TCW supported scientific stations in the Arctic Ocean by airlanding and airdropping supplies on the drifting ice.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
• Other wing components are the 62d Maintenance Group, 62d Mission Support Group and 62d Medical Squadron.
• Starting in mid-1943 the training of B-17 and B-24 replacement crews began to be phased out, as the Second Air Force began ramping up training of B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomb groups, destined for Twentieth Air Force.
• 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.

Facts about Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN):

• Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which is located 77 miles (124 kilometers) NNE of PPN.
• In addition to being known as "Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport", another name for PPN is "Aeropuerto Guillermo León Valencia".
• Because of Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Sultan Thaha Airport (DJB), which is nearly antipodal to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (meaning Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Thaha Airport), and is located 12,378 miles (19,920 kilometers) away in Jambi, Indonesia.