Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Athens/Albany, Ohio, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO), Athens/Albany, Ohio, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,169 miles (or 5,099 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 Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush 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 Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush 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):

• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.
• On 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.
• The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.
• The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.

Facts about Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO):

• The furthest airport from Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,410 miles (18,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO) is Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (PMH), which is located 42 miles (67 kilometers) SW of ATO.
• Because of Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport's relatively low elevation of 766 feet, planes can take off or land at Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush 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 university finally chose a location just west of Albany and the airport was constructed in the early 1970s and opened around 1972.
• In addition to being known as "Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport", other names for ATO include "Snyder Field" and "UNI".
• Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The aviation program started training pilots in 1939.