Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Vigo, Galicia, Spain:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Vigo Airport (VGO), Vigo, Galicia, Spain would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,963 miles (or 7,987 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 Vigo 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 Vigo 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.
• Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• 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 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 uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.

Facts about Vigo Airport (VGO):

• The furthest airport from Vigo Airport (VGO) is Greymouth Airport (GMN), which is nearly antipodal to Vigo Airport (meaning Vigo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Greymouth Airport), and is located 12,418 miles (19,985 kilometers) away in Greymouth, New Zealand.
• Vigo Airport (VGO) currently has only 1 runway.
• Vigo Airport handled 828,725 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Vigo Airport", other names for VGO include "Aeropuerto de Vigo" and "Aeroporto de Vigo".
• Because of Vigo Airport's relatively low elevation of 855 feet, planes can take off or land at Vigo 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.
• The closest airport to Vigo Airport (VGO) is Braga Airport (BGZ), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) SSE of VGO.
• To adapt the Vigo airport to the future air traffic demands, Aena published an airport development project.
• After meeting in the summer of 2008 that would expand the airport terminal Vigo, and after more than a year of delays and conflicting information and would eventually expand the terminal, 24 February 2010, the Board of Directors approved at its meeting Aena the tendering of the works to expand the terminal with a budget of 59,393,578.76 euros.
• Vigo Airport is 8 km east from the centre of Vigo, and is situated in the municipalities of Redondela, Vigo and Mos, Spain.