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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP), Valledupar, Colombia and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,819 miles (or 6,146 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP):

• Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) is La Mina Airport Jorge Isaacs Airport (MCJ), which is located 75 miles (121 kilometers) NE of VUP.
• In addition to being known as "Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport", another name for VUP is "Aeropuerto Alfonso López Pumarejo".
• Because of Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport's relatively low elevation of 456 feet, planes can take off or land at Alfonso López Pumarejo 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (meaning Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,365 miles (19,899 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.

Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):

• The 325th Fighter Group operated two squadrons of F-82F Twin Mustangs from McChord between 1948 and 1950, the first postwar fighter optimized for the air defense interceptor mission.
• Other wing components are the 62d Maintenance Group, 62d Mission Support Group and 62d Medical Squadron.
• McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
• The McChord Air Force Base facility was consolidated with the United States Army Fort Lewis on 1 February 2010 to become part of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord complex.
• In 1975, TAC divested itself of its C-130 Hercules tactical airlift fleet, transferring all tactical airlift wings, groups and squadrons to MAC.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.