Nonstop flight route between Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan and Great Falls, Montana, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from KMQ to GFA:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- KMQ Airport Information
- GFA Airport Information
- Facts about KMQ
- Facts about GFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to KMQ
- List of Nearest Airports to KMQ
- Map of Furthest Airports from KMQ
- List of Furthest Airports from KMQ
- 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 Komatsu Airport (KMQ), Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan and Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA), Great Falls, Montana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,299 miles (or 8,528 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 Komatsu Airport 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 Komatsu Airport 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: | KMQ / RJNK |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan |
GPS Coordinates: | 36°23'38"N by 136°24'26"E |
Operator/Owner: | Ishikawa Prefecture / JASDF |
Airport Type: | Military/Public |
Elevation: | 22 feet (7 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from KMQ |
More Information: | KMQ 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 Komatsu Airport (KMQ):
- Because of Komatsu Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Komatsu 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.
- The Japan Air Self-Defense Force Komatsu Base shares the runway with civil aviation.
- Ishikawa Prefecture set aside funds for an airport promotion committee in 2012 amid expectations that the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015 would impact traffic on the Komatsu-Tokyo route.
- The airport was originally a base of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
- The closest airport to Komatsu Airport (KMQ) is Fukui Airport (FKJ), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) SSW of KMQ.
- Komatsu Airport (KMQ) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Komatsu Airport", other names for KMQ include "小松飛行場" and "Komatsu Hikōjō".
- The furthest airport from Komatsu Airport (KMQ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,864 miles (19,093 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
Facts about Malmstrom Air Force Base (GFA):
- Great Falls became the temporary home of the 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing on 1 May 1953 which was transferred from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
- DC-20 was initially under the Great Falls Air Defense Sector, established on 1 March 1959.
- 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 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.
- Originally named Great Falls Army Air Base, later Great Falls Air Force Base, the facility was renamed Malmstrom Air Force Base on 1 October 1955 in honor of Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom.
- In addition to being known as "Malmstrom Air Force Base", another name for GFA is "Malmstrom AFB".
- The base's runway was closed on 31 December 1996 for aircraft operations.
- After World War II ended Great Falls AAB assumed a support mission for military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations.