Nonstop flight route between Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF), Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,610 miles (or 4,200 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 Council Bluffs Municipal 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 Council Bluffs Municipal 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:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF):

• The furthest airport from Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,684 miles (17,194 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Council Bluffs Municipal Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles east of the central business district of Council Bluffs, a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States.
• Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Council Bluffs Municipal Airport (CBF) is Eppley Airfield (OMA), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) WNW of CBF.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• The installation hosts the headquarters for the United States Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force, U.S.
• On 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.
• The strategic importance of Elmendorf AFB was graphically realized during the spring of 1980 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed eight of its F-4Es to Korea to participate in exercise Team Spirit.
• 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.
• The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• On 22 September 1995, a Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne early warning and control aircraft with 22 USAF personnel and two Canadian air crew members crashed after ingesting a flock of Canada Geese, killing all on board.
• Following World War II, Elmendorf assumed an increasing role in the defense of North America as the uncertain wartime relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated into the Cold War.
• The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.