Nonstop flight route between Windhoek, Namibia and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH), Windhoek, Namibia and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,651 miles (or 15,531 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 Hosea Kutako International 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 Hosea Kutako International 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 Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH):

• During South African administration, the airport used to be named J.G.
• Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) is Eros Airport (ERS), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) WSW of WDH.
• Hosea Kutako International Airport handled 681,317 passengers last year.
• Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport underwent a modernising makeover in 2009.
• Because of Hosea Kutako International Airport's high elevation of 5,640 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at WDH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make WDH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) is PMRF Barking Sands (BKH), which is nearly antipodal to Hosea Kutako International Airport (meaning Hosea Kutako International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from PMRF Barking Sands), and is located 12,258 miles (19,727 kilometers) away in Kekaha, Hawaii, United States.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• The 91st Observation Squadron and aircraft of the 3rd Balloon Squadron operated out of the Fort Lewis airfield.
• 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.
• Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
• 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.
• GAAF units have served in Iraq with Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, returning from a 15 month deployment on April 17, 2004.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".