Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Cockburn Town, San Salvador Island, Bahamas:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and San Salvador Airport (ZSA), Cockburn Town, San Salvador Island, Bahamas would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,286 miles (or 6,897 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 San Salvador 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 San Salvador 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 uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• 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 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 adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
• The Elmendorf AFB is a site of one of the now decommissioned FLR-9 Wullenweber-class antennas, a node of the now obsolete High Frequency SIGINT direction finding system.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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 San Salvador Airport (ZSA):

• San Salvador Airport (ZSA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to San Salvador Airport (ZSA) is New Bight Airport (NET), which is located 61 miles (98 kilometers) WNW of ZSA.
• In addition to being known as "San Salvador Airport", another name for ZSA is "Cockburn Town Airport".
• Because of San Salvador Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at San Salvador 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 furthest airport from San Salvador Airport (ZSA) is Carnarvon Airport (CVQ), which is located 11,918 miles (19,181 kilometers) away in Carnarvon, Western Australia, Australia.