Nonstop flight route between Panama City, Florida, United States and Fairbanks, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Panama City, Florida, United States and Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,499 miles (or 5,632 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 Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Eielson 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 Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Eielson 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 Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP):

• The airport covers 4,000 acres at an elevation of 68 feet.
• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport handled 85,600 passengers last year.
• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport's relatively low elevation of 68 feet, planes can take off or land at Northwest Florida Beaches International 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.
• The furthest airport from Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,218 miles (18,054 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is Panama City–Bay County International Airport (PFN), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) SSE of ECP.
• Southwest Airlines began service in May 2010 with 8 daily flights, 2 each to Baltimore-Washington, Houston-Hobby, Nashville and Orlando.
• The new airport has a much larger terminal, designed by HNTB compared to the terminal at the previous airport.

Facts about Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):

• Eielson AFB was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field.
• The closest airport to Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NW of EIL.
• The Air Defense Command deployed interceptors to Eielson during the 1960s.
• The furthest airport from Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,295 miles (16,568 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• A month later, contractors and civilian crews from Ladd Field started laying out the new airfield.
• Headquarters USAF General Order 2, dated 13 January 1948, redesignated Mile 26 as Eielson AFB.
• The 6th SW flew RC–135 strategic reconnaissance missions with an assigned squadron, and, with KC–135s deployed to Eielson from SAC, AFRES, and the ANG, conducted Alaska Tanker Task Force missions to support reconnaissance and numerous exercises for the Air Force and Navy.
• In addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
• The host unit at Eielson is the 354th Fighter Wing assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force.