Nonstop flight route between Chaitén, Los Lagos, Chile and Great Falls, Montana, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Chaitén Airfield (WCH), Chaitén, Los Lagos, Chile and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,675 miles (or 10,742 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 Chaitén Airfield and Malmstrom Air Force Base, 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 Chaitén Airfield and Malmstrom Air Force Base. 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 Chaitén Airfield (WCH):

• Chaitén Airfield (WCH) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Chaitén Airfield (WCH) is Mandalgovi Airport (MXW), which is nearly antipodal to Chaitén Airfield (meaning Chaitén Airfield is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mandalgovi Airport), and is located 12,235 miles (19,690 kilometers) away in Mandalgovi, Dundgovi, Mongolia.
• In addition to being known as "Chaitén Airfield", other names for WCH include "Chaitén Airfield (Chaitén)" and "Aeródromo Chaitén".
• The closest airport to Chaitén Airfield (WCH) is Gamboa Airport (WCA), which is located 63 miles (101 kilometers) WNW of WCH.
• Because of Chaitén Airfield's relatively low elevation of 13 feet, planes can take off or land at Chaitén 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.

Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.
• With the phaseout of the B-36 from the inventory in the late 1950s, the need for fighter escorts of SAC bombers was eliminated.
• The furthest airport from Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,495 miles (16,891 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Upon completion of the B-17 training program, in October 1943, Great Falls Army Air Base was transferred to the Air Transport Command and units from Gore Field were transferred to the base.
• The closest airport to Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA) is Great Falls International Airport (GTF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) W of GFA.
• Great Falls became the temporary home of the 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing on 1 May 1953 which was transferred from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
• The 801st Radar Squadron was inactivated on 31 December 1969 due to budget reductions.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".