Nonstop flight route between Sofia, Bulgaria and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SOF to GRF:
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- About this route
- SOF Airport Information
- GRF Airport Information
- Facts about SOF
- Facts about GRF
- Map of Nearest Airports to SOF
- List of Nearest Airports to SOF
- Map of Furthest Airports from SOF
- List of Furthest Airports from SOF
- 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 Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF), Sofia, Bulgaria and Gray Army Airfield (GRF), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,895 miles (or 9,487 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 Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna 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 Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna 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: | SOF / LBSF |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Sofia, Bulgaria |
GPS Coordinates: | 42°41'42"N by 23°24'29"E |
Area Served: | Sofia, Bulgaria |
Operator/Owner: | Sofia Airport EAD |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1742 feet (531 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SOF |
More Information: | SOF 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 Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF):
- Design and construction of a new control tower was discussed in 2006 but this project appeared to be in abeyance by 2008.
- The airport was initially built in the late 1930s on a site 6.3 km by road then.
- The new tower was officially opened on 7 December 2012.
- In addition to being known as "Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna", other names for SOF include "Vrazhdebna Airport" and "Летище София".
- The furthest airport from Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,437 miles (18,405 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna handled 350,432 passengers last year.
- The closest airport to Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) is Plovdiv Airport (PDV), which is located 86 miles (138 kilometers) ESE of SOF.
- Two de-icing platforms are constructed to allow centralised de-icing procedures in winter.
- Sofia Airport Vrazhdebna (SOF) currently has only 1 runway.
- Service life of the new airport control tower will be more than 40 years and is designed to serve the airport with a possible extension.
Facts about Gray Army Airfield (GRF):
- 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.
- After the Korean War, the 2d Aviation Company, of the 2d Infantry Division, which had been the first helicopter unit in Korea, returned to Fort Lewis with observation/spotter aircraft L-19 Bird Dogs, and L-20 Beavers, as well as H-23 Raven helicopters.
- It should not confused with Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood in Texas.
- The 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1980s developed air-assault strategies with their AH-1 Cobra helicopters based upon experiences learned in Vietnam.
- In addition to being known as "Gray Army Airfield", another name for GRF is "(Joint Base Lewis-McChord)".
- Company A, 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, conducts high-altitude search-and-rescue operations.
- 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 1926, the War Department observing aviation expansion overseas requested additional aviation funding.
- 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.
- 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.