Nonstop flight route between Red Lake, Ontario, Canada and Great Falls, Montana, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Red Lake Airport (YRL), Red Lake, Ontario, Canada and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 819 miles (or 1,319 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 Red Lake 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 Red Lake Airport (YRL):

• It wasn't until 1993 when the paved runway was extended to 5,000 ft × 150 ft to help serve the future growth of the Red Lake area.
• Red Lake Airport (YRL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Red Lake Airport (YRL) is Pikangikum Airport (YPM), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) N of YRL.
• Construction of a 4,000 ft × 150 ft gravel runway began in 1946 and was put into use of May 29, 1947 when Canadian Pacific Air Lines began daily service from Winnipeg.
• Red Lake Airport is located 1 km south of the community of Cochenour, Ontario.
• Commercial air service to the area began in 1926 using the waters of Howey Bay on Red Lake as a float and sea plane base.
• The furthest airport from Red Lake Airport (YRL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,569 miles (17,008 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):

• 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.
• 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.
• DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
• Malmstrom AFB is one of three US Air Force Bases that maintains and operates the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.
• In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
• Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe.
• 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.
• By 1954, several aircraft control and warning squadrons had been formed at the base.
• At Great Falls, P-39 Airacobras, C-47 Skytrains, B-25 Mitchells, and A-20 Havocs aircraft.
• On 1 July 1968, the F-101B equipped 29th FIS was inactivated and replaced by the F-106 Delta Dart equipped 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was reassigned from Richards Gebaur AFB when its ADC mission was eliminated.