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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Capital Region International Airport (LAN), Lansing, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,900 miles (or 4,668 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 Capital Region 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 Capital Region 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):

• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.
• Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.
• 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.
• 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 uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• 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.

Facts about Capital Region International Airport (LAN):

• In 1940 the original terminal building, a 100-by-100-foot concrete hangar and an adjoining office wing at the west end of the airport were built.
• In November 2009 Lockheed Martin, operator of the flight service station located at Capital Region International Airport, announced the closing of the service station, effective February 2010.
• Capital Region International Airport (LAN) has 3 runways.
• In May 2013 Apple Vacations announced that Frontier Airlines will operate their seasonal international flights from Lansing, replacing Sun Country Airlines.
• The closest airport to Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is Jackson County Airport (JXN), which is located 36 miles (59 kilometers) S of LAN.
• Because of Capital Region International Airport's relatively low elevation of 861 feet, planes can take off or land at Capital Region International 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 January 1987 United Airlines announced it was ending flights between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Lansing on April 5, after nearly 56 years of service.
• The Airport Authority reports 418,850 people flew to or from the airport in 2013, three percent fewer than 2008 and a 36 percent decrease since 2000.
• The furthest airport from Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,212 miles (18,044 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In 1970 Michigan Public Act 73 allowed the creation of the Capital Region Airport Authority, transferring jurisdiction of the airport from the State of Michigan to the Airport Authority.