Nonstop flight route between Willows, California, United States and Great Falls, Montana, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW), Willows, California, United States and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 780 miles (or 1,255 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 relatively short distance between Willows-Glenn County Airport and Malmstrom Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW):

• For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2011, the airport had 29,500 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 80 per day.
• Because of Willows-Glenn County Airport's relatively low elevation of 141 feet, planes can take off or land at Willows-Glenn County 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.
• Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,255 miles (18,114 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Willows-Glenn County Airport (WLW) is Chico Municipal Airport (CIC), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) NE of WLW.

Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
• This included one of the greatest technology transfers in the history of the world.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• 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.
• Malmstrom AFB is one of three US Air Force Bases that maintains and operates the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.
• With the development of the three-stage, solid-fuel Minuteman I missile in the late 1950s SAC began searching for sites to deploy this revolutionary weapon.
• Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union increased dramatically when the Soviet Union closed all land travel between the western occupation sectors of Germany and the American, French and British sectors of Berlin.
• 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.
• In 1959 a SAGE data center was established at Malmstrom.