Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB), Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,957 miles (or 4,759 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base and Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base and Ann Arbor Municipal Airport. 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 Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991.
• Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.
• The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• 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 closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• Air defense forces reached their zenith in 1957 with almost 200 fighter aircraft assigned to six fighter interceptor squadrons located at Elmendorf AFB and Ladd AFB.
• 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.

Facts about Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB):

• The closest airport to Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB) is Willow Run Airport (YIP) (YIP), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) E of ARB.
• Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB) has 2 runways.
• The airport is entirely surrounded by Pittsfield Township, but the airport is owned and operated by the City of Ann Arbor, and the airport property is an exclave that is part of the City of Ann Arbor, having been annexed by the City of Ann Arbor before Pittsfield became a charter township in 1972.
• Built in 1928, Ann Arbor Municipal Airport is a class B-II airport.
• The current runaway "requires pilots to make a much steeper descent than recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration" and five planes have overrun the runway since 2000.
• The furthest airport from Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,266 miles (18,131 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airport is a general aviation facility with mostly smaller corporate and private aircraft, with no scheduled passenger or cargo flights.
• Because of Ann Arbor Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 839 feet, planes can take off or land at Ann Arbor Municipal 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.