Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Buenos Aires, Costa Rica:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Buenos Aires Airporrt (BAI), Buenos Aires, Costa Rica would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,891 miles (or 7,871 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 Buenos Aires Airporrt, 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 Buenos Aires Airporrt. 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):

• 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.
• On 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.

Facts about Buenos Aires Airporrt (BAI):

• The closest airport to Buenos Aires Airporrt (BAI) is Palmar Sur Airport (PMZ), which is located only 17 miles (28 kilometers) SSW of BAI.
• Buenos Aires Airporrt (BAI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Buenos Aires Airporrt (BAI) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Buenos Aires Airporrt (meaning Buenos Aires Airporrt is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,228 miles (19,678 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.