Nonstop flight route between Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
![Get maps and more information about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport Get airport maps and more information about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport](images/takeoff-icon.gif)
Arrival Airport:
![Get maps and more information about Gray Army Airfield Get airport maps and more information about Gray Army Airfield](images/landing-icon.gif)
Distance from HRI to GRF:
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- About this route
- HRI Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about HRI
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to HRI
- List of Nearest Airports to HRI
- Map of Furthest Airports from HRI
- List of Furthest Airports from HRI
- Map of Nearest Airports to GRF
- List of Nearest Airports to GRF
- Map of Furthest Airports from GRF
- List of Furthest Airports from GRF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,475 miles (or 13,638 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 Mattala Rajapaksa 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 Mattala Rajapaksa 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:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | HRI / VCRI |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Hambantota, Sri Lanka |
GPS Coordinates: | 6°17'20"N by 81°7'24"E |
Area Served: | Hambantota |
Operator/Owner: | Sri Lankan Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 157 feet (48 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from HRI |
More Information: | HRI Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GRF / KGRF |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°4'45"N by 122°34'50"W |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 300 feet (91 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GRF |
More Information: | GRF Maps & Info |
Facts about Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI):
- Because of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 157 feet, planes can take off or land at Mattala Rajapaksa International 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.
- In addition to being known as "Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport", another name for HRI is "මත්තල රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළமத்தல ராஜபக்ஷ பன்னாட்டு விமான நிலையம்".
- On October 2012, the Super King 20 Test Aircraft, which belongs to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Department and features a dual engine, landed on the new runway to test the newly constructed runway and the instrumentation.
- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Hambantota in southeast Sri Lanka.
- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) currently has only 1 runway.
- Construction of phase one began on 27 November 2009 at Mattala.
- The furthest airport from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Seymour Airport (GPS), which is located 11,719 miles (18,860 kilometers) away in Baltra Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.
- The closest airport to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) is Weerawila Airport (WRZ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) ESE of HRI.
Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):
- Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- August 1984 saw GAAF become one of few test centers for the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
- The Fort Lewis airfield housed observation planes.
- The Air Transport Command.
- Gray Army Airfield (GRF) currently has only 1 runway.
- Gray Army Airfield, also known as Gray AAF, is a military airfield located within Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, in Pierce County, Washington, United States.
- 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.
- Reactivated following service in Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division aviation units occupied GAAF in 1972.
- It should not confused with Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood in Texas.