Nonstop flight route between Wallis and Futuna Islands and Great Falls, Montana, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from WLS to GFA:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- WLS Airport Information
- GFA Airport Information
- Facts about WLS
- Facts about GFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to WLS
- List of Nearest Airports to WLS
- Map of Furthest Airports from WLS
- List of Furthest Airports from WLS
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFA
- List of Nearest Airports to GFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFA
- List of Furthest Airports from GFA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Wallis Island (WLS), Wallis and Futuna Islands and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,788 miles (or 9,315 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 Wallis Island 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 Wallis Island 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | WLS / NLWW |
| Airport Name: | Wallis Island |
| Location: | Wallis and Futuna Islands |
| GPS Coordinates: | 13°16'1"S by 176°11'59"W |
| Elevation: | 0 feet (0 meters) |
| View all routes: | Routes from WLS |
| More Information: | WLS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFA / KGFA |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Great Falls, Montana, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 47°30'16"N by 111°11'13"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from GFA |
| More Information: | GFA Maps & Info |
Facts about Wallis Island (WLS):
- During World War II the island's administration was pro-Vichy until a Free French corvette from New Caledonia deposed the regime on 26 May 1942.
- Because of Wallis Island's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wallis Island 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.
- Religion and culture are very close in Wallis.
- The only commercial flights that go to Wallis are operated by the New Caledonia based Aircalin.
- The furthest airport from Wallis Island (WLS) is Diori Hamani International Airport (NIM), which is nearly antipodal to Wallis Island (meaning Wallis Island is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Diori Hamani International Airport), and is located 12,326 miles (19,837 kilometers) away in Niamey, Niger.
- Rainfall is 2500–3000 mm per year in 4000 to Wallis and Futuna mm.
- The closest airport to Wallis Island (WLS) is Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT), which is located 145 miles (233 kilometers) WSW of WLS.
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- Great Falls AAB was assigned to II Bomber Command, Second Air Force.
- 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.
- Z-147 was completely replaced by a new ARSR-4 JSS site on Bootlegger Ridge, about 14 miles northeast of Great Falls AFB.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- In late 1962 missiles assigned to 341st would play a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- 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.
- In 1957, under the control of the 801st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, the Malmstrom AFB radar station became operational with AN/FPS-20 search and AN/FPS-6 height-finder radars.
- Aircraft shipments to the Soviet Union stopped in September 1945, when World War II ended, with approximately 8,000 aircraft having been processed in a 21-month period.
- DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
