Nonstop flight route between Valera, Venezuela and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport (VLV), Valera, Venezuela and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,995 miles (or 6,429 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 Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport and Gray Army Airfield, 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 Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport and Gray Army Airfield. 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 Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport (VLV):

• The closest airport to Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport (VLV) is Barinas Airport (BNS), which is located 56 miles (90 kilometers) SSE of VLV.
• The new SAET Director, Anibal Villegas, has made improvements to the airport, including new fuel storage tanks.
• The furthest airport from Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport (VLV) is Tunggul Wulung Airport (CXP), which is nearly antipodal to Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport (meaning Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tunggul Wulung Airport), and is located 12,316 miles (19,821 kilometers) away in Cilacap, Java Island, Indonesia.
• Dr. Antonio Nicolás Briceño Airport (VLV) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• After the Korean War, the 2d Aviation Company, of the 2d Infantry Division, which had been the first helicopter unit in Korea, returned to Fort Lewis with observation/spotter aircraft L-19 Bird Dogs, and L-20 Beavers, as well as H-23 Raven helicopters.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
• Because of Gray Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 300 feet, planes can take off or land at Gray Army Airfield 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 Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,809 miles (17,395 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
• The Air Transport Command.
• The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
• The closest airport to Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NE of GRF.
• In October 1921 Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes flew from the Naval Station at Sand Point to a grass airfield at what was then called "Camp Lewis", located at a site just west of today’s Gray AAF.