Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BUA to EDF:
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- About this route
- BUA Airport Information
- EDF Airport Information
- Facts about BUA
- Facts about EDF
- Map of Nearest Airports to BUA
- List of Nearest Airports to BUA
- Map of Furthest Airports from BUA
- List of Furthest Airports from BUA
- Map of Nearest Airports to EDF
- List of Nearest Airports to EDF
- Map of Furthest Airports from EDF
- List of Furthest Airports from EDF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,469 miles (or 8,801 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 Buka Island Airport and Elmendorf 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 Buka Island Airport and Elmendorf 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: | BUA / AYBK |
Airport Name: | Buka Island Airport |
Location: | Buka Island, Papua New Guinea |
GPS Coordinates: | 5°25'19"S by 154°40'21"E |
Area Served: | Buka Island, Papua New Guinea |
Operator/Owner: | Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 11 feet (3 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from BUA |
More Information: | BUA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | EDF / PAED |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Anchorage, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 61°15'5"N by 149°48'23"W |
View all routes: | Routes from EDF |
More Information: | EDF Maps & Info |
Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):
- The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
- There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
- Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
- In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
- Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):
- In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
- Despite a diminished number of personnel and aircraft, a turning point in Elmendorf's history occurred in 1970 with the arrival of the 43d Tactical Fighter Squadron in June 1970 from MacDill AFB, Florida.
- On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
- The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
- The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
- The 1980s witnessed a period of growth and modernization of Elmendorf AFB.
- On 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.
- The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
- Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.