Nonstop flight route between Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tenerife-South Airport (TFS), Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,501 miles (or 8,854 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 Tenerife-South 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 Tenerife-South 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 Tenerife-South Airport (TFS):

• Tenerife-South Airport (TFS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Tenerife-South Airport's relatively low elevation of 209 feet, planes can take off or land at Tenerife-South 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.
• In addition to being known as "Tenerife-South Airport", other names for TFS include "Aeropuerto de Tenerife Sur" and "Tenerife Sur/Reina Sofía Airport".
• The furthest airport from Tenerife-South Airport (TFS) is Norfolk Island Airport (NLK), which is nearly antipodal to Tenerife-South Airport (meaning Tenerife-South Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Norfolk Island Airport), and is located 12,154 miles (19,561 kilometers) away in Norfolk Island, Australia.
• The closest airport to Tenerife-South Airport (TFS) is Tenerife North Airport (TFN), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) NNE of TFS.
• In the late 1960s, the island authorities of Tenerife said they needed a new airport at a new location as the existing airport did not meet technical requirements due to adverse weather conditions.
• Tenerife-South Airport handled 8,701,983 passengers last year.
• The airport was opened by Queen Sofía on 6 November 1978.

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.
• In 1958, a Semi Automatic Ground Environment Data Center, and Combat Center was established at McChord.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• Other wing components are the 62d Maintenance Group, 62d Mission Support Group and 62d Medical Squadron.
• 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.
• Nearly all new heavy bomb groups organized after Pearl Harbor were organized and trained at Second Air Force Bases, by II Bomber Command operational training units then were deployed to combat commands around the world.
• On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.