Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Aix-en-Provence / Les Milles, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome (QXB), Aix-en-Provence / Les Milles, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,066 miles (or 8,153 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 Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome, 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 Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome. 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 adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Air defense forces reached their zenith in 1957 with almost 200 fighter aircraft assigned to six fighter interceptor squadrons located at Elmendorf AFB and Ladd AFB.

Facts about Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome (QXB):

• Because of Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 368 feet, planes can take off or land at Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome 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.
• Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome (QXB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome (QXB) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome (meaning Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,343 miles (19,864 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome", other names for QXB include "'Aérodrome d'Aix-en-Provence(Advanced Landing Ground Y-15)" and "(Advanced Landing Ground Y-15)".
• The closest airport to Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome (QXB) is Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) WSW of QXB.