Nonstop flight route between Fairbanks, Alaska, United States and Bluefield, West Virginia, United States:
Departure Airport:
(64°39'56"N by 147°6'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(37°17'44"N by 81°12'28"W)
Distance from EIL to BLF:
3,221.93 miles (5,185.18 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- EIL Airport Information
- BLF Airport Information
- Facts about EIL
- Facts about BLF
- Map of Nearest Airports to EIL
- List of Nearest Airports to EIL
- Map of Furthest Airports from EIL
- List of Furthest Airports from EIL
- Map of Nearest Airports to BLF
- List of Nearest Airports to BLF
- Map of Furthest Airports from BLF
- List of Furthest Airports from BLF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States and Mercer County Airport (BLF), Bluefield, West Virginia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,222 miles (or 5,185 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 Eielson Air Force Base and Mercer County 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 Eielson Air Force Base and Mercer County Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | EIL / PAEI |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 64°39'56"N by 147°6'5"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from EIL |
| More Information: | EIL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BLF / KBLF |
| Airport Name: | Mercer County Airport |
| Location: | Bluefield, West Virginia, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°17'44"N by 81°12'28"W |
| Area Served: | Bluefield / Princeton, West Virginia |
| Operator/Owner: | Mercer County Airport Authority |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 2857 feet (871 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BLF |
| More Information: | BLF Maps & Info |
Facts about Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):
- The closest airport to Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NW of EIL.
- Eielson is home to the 354th Fighter Wing which is part of the Eleventh Air Force of Pacific Air Forces.
- On 1 December 1947 Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bombers arrived at 26-Mile Airfield with the deployment of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, from Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
- Headquarters USAF General Order 2, dated 13 January 1948, redesignated Mile 26 as Eielson AFB.
- The Cold War seen the use of Eielson's expansive reservation as a maneuver area for the U.S.
- The Air Defense Command deployed interceptors to Eielson during the 1960s.
- In 1984, the 343d Composite Wing was redesignated a Tactical Fighter Wing.
- The furthest airport from Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,295 miles (16,568 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
- In addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
Facts about Mercer County Airport (BLF):
- Mercer County Airport (BLF) currently has only 1 runway.
- The airport has been served by commercial airlines in the past.
- The closest airport to Mercer County Airport (BLF) is New River Valley Airport (PSK), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) ESE of BLF.
- The furthest airport from Mercer County Airport (BLF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,493 miles (18,496 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 19.23 miles (30.95 km) NW | Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) | Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States |     |
| 2 | 24.54 miles (39.49 km) WNW | Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | |
| 3 | 59.01 miles (94.97 km) W | Nenana Municipal Airport (ENN) | Nenana, Alaska, United States | |
| 4 | 59.31 miles (95.46 km) SE | Delta Junction Airport (DJN) | Delta Junction, Alaska, United States | |
| 5 | 62.08 miles (99.91 km) SE | Allen Army Airfield (BIG) | Fort Greely, Delta Junction, Alaska, United States | |
| 6 | 74.32 miles (119.61 km) WNW | Minto Al Wright Airport (MNT) | Minto, Alaska, United States | |
| 7 | 84.35 miles (135.75 km) SW | McKinley National Park Airport (MCL) | McKinley Park, Alaska, United States | |
| 8 | 85.66 miles (137.86 km) ESE | Healy River Airport (HKB) | Healy Lake, Alaska, United States | |
| 9 | 92.02 miles (148.08 km) NE | Circle Hot Springs Airport (CHP) | Circle Hot Springs, Alaska, United States | |
| 10 | 92.13 miles (148.26 km) NE | Central Airport (CEM) | Central, Alaska, United States | |
| 11 | 105.87 miles (170.38 km) NW | Rampart Airport (RMP) | Rampart, Alaska, United States | |
| 12 | 106.58 miles (171.53 km) WNW | Manley Hot Springs Airport (MLY) | Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, United States | |
| 13 | 109.02 miles (175.45 km) NNW | Stevens Village Airport (SVS) | Stevens Village, Alaska, United States | |
| 14 | 110.73 miles (178.20 km) SW | Summit Airport (UMM) | Summit, Alaska, United States | |
| 15 | 117.00 miles (188.30 km) NNE | Birch Creek Airport (KBC) | Birch Creek, Alaska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,294.82 miles (16,567.87 km) SSE | Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| 2 | 10,272.65 miles (16,532.19 km) SSE | George Airport (GRJ) | George, South Africa | |
| 3 | 10,272.20 miles (16,531.45 km) S | Port Alfred Airport (AFD) | Port Alfred, South Africa | |
| 4 | 10,240.74 miles (16,480.83 km) S | East London Airport (ELS) | East London, South Africa | |
| 5 | 10,232.10 miles (16,466.93 km) SSE | Cape Town International Airport (CPT) | Cape Town, South Africa | |
| 6 | 10,141.32 miles (16,320.83 km) S | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 7 | 10,098.42 miles (16,251.80 km) S | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 8 | 10,027.05 miles (16,136.93 km) S | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 9 | 10,021.32 miles (16,127.70 km) S | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 10 | 10,016.69 miles (16,120.27 km) S | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |
| 11 | 10,015.39 miles (16,118.17 km) S | Mafeteng Airport (MFC) | Mafeteng, Lesotho | |
| 12 | 10,014.79 miles (16,117.20 km) S | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 13 | 10,013.90 miles (16,115.78 km) S | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 14 | 9,993.38 miles (16,082.74 km) S | Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) | Maseru, Lesotho | |
| 15 | 9,986.33 miles (16,071.40 km) S | Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) | Mokhotlong, Lesotho | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 31.11 miles (50.07 km) ESE | New River Valley Airport (PSK) | Dublin, Virginia, United States | |
| 2 | 34.26 miles (55.13 km) N | Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW) | Beckley, West Virginia, United States | |
| 3 | 44.42 miles (71.48 km) E | Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport (BCB) | Blacksburg, Virginia, United States | |
| 4 | 58.90 miles (94.80 km) NE | Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) | Lewisburg, West Virginia, United States | |
| 5 | 61.99 miles (99.76 km) SW | Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) | Abingdon, Virginia, United States | |
| 6 | 67.75 miles (109.03 km) E | Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | |
| 7 | 74.39 miles (119.72 km) S | Wilkes County Airport (IKB) | North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States | |
| 8 | 75.88 miles (122.11 km) WSW | Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) | Wise, Virginia, United States | |
| 9 | 77.53 miles (124.77 km) NNW | Yeager Airport (CRW) | Charleston, West Virginia, United States | |
| 10 | 87.23 miles (140.39 km) SW | Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) | Blountville, Tennessee (Tri-Cities area), United States | |
| 11 | 97.11 miles (156.28 km) SE | Smith Reynolds Airport (INT) | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | |
| 12 | 104.38 miles (167.99 km) SSW | Foothills Regional Airport (MRN) | Morganton, North Carolina, United States | |
| 13 | 104.45 miles (168.10 km) NW | Tri-State Airport (HTS) | Huntington, West Virginia, United States | |
| 14 | 104.64 miles (168.41 km) NW | Lawrence County Airpark (HTW) | Chesapeake, Ohio / Huntington, West Virginia, United States | |
| 15 | 107.89 miles (173.64 km) S | Hickory Regional Airport (HKY) | Hickory, North Carolina, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,493.06 miles (18,496.25 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,471.25 miles (18,461.14 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,448.92 miles (18,425.21 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,443.63 miles (18,416.70 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 11,418.96 miles (18,376.99 km) WSW | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 11,403.58 miles (18,352.24 km) WSW | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 11,394.39 miles (18,337.45 km) WSW | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 11,387.55 miles (18,326.44 km) WSW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 11,364.93 miles (18,290.03 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 11,349.04 miles (18,264.47 km) W | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 11,346.23 miles (18,259.94 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 11,320.00 miles (18,217.74 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 11,297.53 miles (18,181.57 km) WSW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 11,293.50 miles (18,175.09 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 11,265.80 miles (18,130.50 km) SW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |