Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Puerto Natales, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), Puerto Natales, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,039 miles (or 11,328 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base and Teniente Julio Gallardo 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base and Teniente Julio Gallardo 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 Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• Following the departure of the last B-1B aircraft in 1994, the base transferred to the new Air Mobility Command and the 319th Bomb Wing was redesignated as the 319th Air Refueling Wing.
• The closest airport to Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) E of RDR.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• The furthest airport from Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,504 miles (16,904 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
• On 26 May 1972, President Nixon and Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the ABM Treaty, which limited each nation to one site to protect strategic forces and one site to protect the "National Command Authority." With work about 85 percent complete at Grand Forks, the United States chose to finish construction at the North Dakota site.
• In October 1977, the PAR came under operational control of the USAF, which operated it thereafter as part of its early warning system.
• On 18 February 1957, the 478th Fighter Group was activated at Grand Forks.

Facts about Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT):

• Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT) is Baikal International Airport (UUD), which is nearly antipodal to Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (meaning Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Baikal International Airport), and is located 12,427 miles (20,000 kilometers) away in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
• Because of Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield's relatively low elevation of 217 feet, planes can take off or land at Teniente Julio Gallardo 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 closest airport to Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT) is Lago Argentino Airport (ING), which is located 93 miles (150 kilometers) N of PNT.
• In addition to being known as "Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield", other names for PNT include "Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (Puerto Natales)" and "Aeródromo Teniente Julio Gallardo".