Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Erenhot, Inner Mongolia, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport (ERL), Erenhot, Inner Mongolia, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,896 miles (or 6,271 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 Erenhot Saiwusu International 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 Erenhot Saiwusu International 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):

• On 28 July 2010, a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft practicing for an upcoming airshow crashed into a wooded area within the base, killing all four air crew members.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport (ERL):

• The closest airport to Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport (ERL) is Hohhot Baita International Airport (HET), which is located 178 miles (287 kilometers) S of ERL.
• The furthest airport from Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport (ERL) is Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport (REL), which is nearly antipodal to Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport (meaning Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport), and is located 12,304 miles (19,802 kilometers) away in Trelew, Chubut, Argentina.
• In addition to being known as "Erenhot Saiwusu International Airport", other names for ERL include "二连浩特赛乌苏国际机场" and "Èrliánhàotè Sàiwūsū Guójì Jīchǎng".