Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Virac Airport (VRC), Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,265 miles (or 8,473 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 Virac 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 Virac 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 closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• 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 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.
• Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.
• 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.
• 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 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 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.

Facts about Virac Airport (VRC):

• In addition to being known as "Virac Airport", another name for VRC is "Paliparan ng ViracPalayogan nin Virac".
• Virac Airport (VRC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Virac Airport (VRC) is Legazpi Airport (LGP), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) SW of VRC.
• The furthest airport from Virac Airport (VRC) is Marechal Rondon International Airport (CGB), which is nearly antipodal to Virac Airport (meaning Virac Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Marechal Rondon International Airport), and is located 12,292 miles (19,782 kilometers) away in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
• Virac Airport handled 30,002 passengers last year.
• Because of Virac Airport's relatively low elevation of 121 feet, planes can take off or land at Virac 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.