Nonstop flight route between West Columbia (near Columbia), South Carolina, United States and Fort Greely, Delta Junction, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), West Columbia (near Columbia), South Carolina, United States and Allen Army Airfield (BIG), Fort Greely, Delta Junction, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,376 miles (or 5,434 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 Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Allen 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 Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Allen Army 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 Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE):

• Because of Columbia Metropolitan Airport's relatively low elevation of 236 feet, planes can take off or land at Columbia Metropolitan 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.
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport handled 1,027,699 passengers last year.
• In August 1996, the UPS-owned cargo airline opened an $80 million southeastern regional hub at the airport, one of six regional hubs throughout the United States.
• The closest airport to Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) ENE of CAE.
• One of the earliest units to train at Columbia AAB was the 17th Bombardment Group, which arrived on 9 February 1942.
• The airport was built in the 1940 as Lexington County Airport.
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) has 2 runways.
• In 1941 the airport came under formal military control and an immediate program began to turn the civil airport into a military airfield.
• Police and Fire/Rescue services are provided by the Columbia Metro Airport Department of Public Safety.
• In November 1982, Piedmont Airlines returned to Columbia with flights to Charlotte and later Newark.
• The furthest airport from Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,508 miles (18,520 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Allen Army Airfield (BIG):

• Allen Army Airfield (BIG) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Allen Army Airfield (BIG) is Delta Junction Airport (DJN), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) N of BIG.
• In addition to being known as "Allen Army Airfield", another name for BIG is "(former Big Delta Army Airfield)".
• Allen Army Airfield is a public and military use airport serving Fort Greely and located three miles south of the central business district of Delta Junction, a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area of the U.S.
• The furthest airport from Allen Army Airfield (BIG) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,331 miles (16,625 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Two runways are lighted and can accommodate heavy cargo aircraft year-round, including the C-141.