Nonstop flight route between Rach Gia, Kien Giang, Vietnam and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rach Gia Airport (VKG), Rach Gia, Kien Giang, Vietnam and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,528 miles (or 12,116 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 Rach Gia 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 Rach Gia 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 Rach Gia Airport (VKG):

• Because of Rach Gia Airport's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at Rach Gia 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.
• Rach Gia Airport (VKG) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Rach Gia Airport (VKG) is Can Tho International Airport (VCA), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) ENE of VKG.
• In addition to being known as "Rach Gia Airport", another name for VKG is "Sân bay Rạch Giá".
• The furthest airport from Rach Gia Airport (VKG) is Tingo María Airport (TGI), which is nearly antipodal to Rach Gia Airport (meaning Rach Gia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tingo María Airport), and is located 12,346 miles (19,870 kilometers) away in Tingo María, Peru.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (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.
• In 1945 McChord was designated as a permanent station by the Army Air Forces.
• The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• With the departure of the 17th Bomb Group, the mission of McChord Field became supporting the Army Air Forces Training Command's mission of training of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".