Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Brest, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Brest Bretagne Airport (BES), Brest, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,617 miles (or 7,431 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 Brest Bretagne 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 Brest Bretagne 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 first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• 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 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 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.
• 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.
• On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".

Facts about Brest Bretagne Airport (BES):

• The furthest airport from Brest Bretagne Airport (BES) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is nearly antipodal to Brest Bretagne Airport (meaning Brest Bretagne Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dunedin International Airport), and is located 12,130 miles (19,522 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Brest Bretagne Airport", another name for BES is "Aéroport de Brest Bretagne".
• The closest airport to Brest Bretagne Airport (BES) is Morlaix - Ploujean Airport (MXN), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) ENE of BES.
• Brest Bretagne Airport (BES) has 2 runways.
• Brest Bretagne Airport, formerly known as Brest Guipavas Airport, is an international airport serving Brest, France.
• Because of Brest Bretagne Airport's relatively low elevation of 325 feet, planes can take off or land at Brest Bretagne 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.
• In summer of 2011, long-due replacement of the ILS all-weather landing system causes numerous aborted landings/re-routing of passenger jets when foggy conditions occur, affecting all companies operating to/from this airport.