Nonstop flight route between Miandrivazo, Madagascar and Tacoma, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA), Miandrivazo, Madagascar and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,419 miles (or 16,768 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 Miandrivazo 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 Miandrivazo 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 Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA):

• Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) is Ankavandra Airport (JVA), which is located 54 miles (87 kilometers) NNW of ZVA.
• The furthest airport from Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,104 miles (17,870 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
• Because of Miandrivazo Airport's relatively low elevation of 203 feet, planes can take off or land at Miandrivazo 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.

Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):

• The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
• 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.
• Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In October 1921 Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes flew from the Naval Station at Sand Point to a grass airfield at what was then called "Camp Lewis", located at a site just west of today’s Gray AAF.
• World War II cantonment construction involved the demolition of some of the pre-1941 buildings.
• The 1938 construction included two paved runways, a boiler plant, headquarters building, metal balloon hangar, six-plane hangar, corrugated-iron hangar, storehouse, flight-surgeon office, and film-storage building.
• The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".