Nonstop flight route between East London, South Africa and Tanana, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
(33°2'5"S by 27°49'17"E)
Arrival Airport:
(65°10'27"N by 152°6'33"W)
Distance from ELS to TAL:
10,216.18 miles (16,441.30 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- ELS Airport Information
- TAL Airport Information
- Facts about ELS
- Facts about TAL
- Map of Nearest Airports to ELS
- List of Nearest Airports to ELS
- Map of Furthest Airports from ELS
- List of Furthest Airports from ELS
- Map of Nearest Airports to TAL
- List of Nearest Airports to TAL
- Map of Furthest Airports from TAL
- List of Furthest Airports from TAL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between East London Airport (ELS), East London, South Africa and Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport (TAL), Tanana, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,216 miles (or 16,441 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 East London Airport and Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial 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 East London Airport and Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | ELS / FAEL |
| Airport Name: | East London Airport |
| Location: | East London, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°2'5"S by 27°49'17"E |
| Area Served: | East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 436 feet (133 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from ELS |
| More Information: | ELS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | TAL / PATA |
| Airport Name: | Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport |
| Location: | Tanana, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 65°10'27"N by 152°6'33"W |
| Area Served: | Tanana, Alaska |
| Operator/Owner: | State of Alaska DOT&PF - Northern Region |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 236 feet (72 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from TAL |
| More Information: | TAL Maps & Info |
Facts about East London Airport (ELS):
- East London Airport (ELS) has 2 runways.
- The airport had an inauspicious beginning in 1927, when Lieut Colonel Alistair Miller asked the East London town council to help establish a municipal aerodrome at Woodbrook, west of the city.
- The furthest airport from East London Airport (ELS) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located 11,569 miles (18,618 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.
- Passenger flights were undertaken by two de Havilland Moth planes on Saturday afternoons and all day on Sundays, weather permitting.
- The closest airport to East London Airport (ELS) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 65 miles (105 kilometers) WSW of ELS.
- In 1965 the airport was again moved, this time to its present site, 9 km west of the city centre.
- Because of East London Airport's relatively low elevation of 436 feet, planes can take off or land at East London 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.
Facts about Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport (TAL):
- Because of Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 236 feet, planes can take off or land at Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial 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 Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport (TAL) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,280 miles (16,544 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
- The closest airport to Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport (TAL) is Manley Hot Springs Airport (MLY), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) ESE of TAL.
- Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport (TAL) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 65.15 miles (104.85 km) WSW | Port Alfred Airport (AFD) | Port Alfred, South Africa |     |
| 2 | 114.31 miles (183.96 km) NNE | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 3 | 143.28 miles (230.59 km) WSW | Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| 4 | 210.82 miles (339.28 km) NE | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 5 | 221.32 miles (356.17 km) N | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 6 | 222.73 miles (358.45 km) NNE | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 7 | 226.04 miles (363.78 km) N | Mafeteng Airport (MFC) | Mafeteng, Lesotho | |
| 8 | 228.78 miles (368.18 km) N | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |
| 9 | 247.37 miles (398.09 km) N | Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) | Maseru, Lesotho | |
| 10 | 269.67 miles (433.99 km) NNE | Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) | Mokhotlong, Lesotho | |
| 11 | 279.14 miles (449.23 km) NNE | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 12 | 286.72 miles (461.43 km) NNW | Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN) | Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa | |
| 13 | 289.10 miles (465.25 km) N | Leribe Airport (LRB) | Leribe, Lesotho | |
| 14 | 305.60 miles (491.81 km) NE | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 15 | 320.45 miles (515.72 km) WSW | George Airport (GRJ) | George, South Africa | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,568.58 miles (18,617.79 km) NNE | Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 2 | 11,567.16 miles (18,615.49 km) NNE | Princeville Airport (HPV) | Hanalei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 3 | 11,563.78 miles (18,610.05 km) NNE | Dillingham Airfield (HDH) | Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States | |
| 4 | 11,562.20 miles (18,607.51 km) NNE | Molokai Airport (MKK) | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | |
| 5 | 11,561.78 miles (18,606.84 km) NNE | Wheeler AAF (HHI) | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 6 | 11,558.95 miles (18,602.28 km) NNE | Hana Airport (HNM) | Hana, Hawaii, United States | |
| 7 | 11,558.59 miles (18,601.70 km) NNE | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | |
| 8 | 11,558.30 miles (18,601.24 km) NNE | Kapalua Airport (JHM) | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | |
| 9 | 11,556.31 miles (18,598.04 km) NNE | Lihue Airport (LIH) | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | |
| 10 | 11,554.09 miles (18,594.46 km) NNE | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 11 | 11,554.09 miles (18,594.46 km) NNE | Hickam Field (HIK) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 12 | 11,549.72 miles (18,587.42 km) NNE | Kalaeloa Airport (NAX) | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 13 | 11,545.26 miles (18,580.25 km) NNE | PMRF Barking Sands (BKH) | Kekaha, Hawaii, United States | |
| 14 | 11,543.40 miles (18,577.26 km) NNE | Port Allen Airport (PAK) | Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States | |
| 15 | 11,541.15 miles (18,573.63 km) NNE | Lanai Airport (LNY) | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 44.36 miles (71.40 km) ESE | Manley Hot Springs Airport (MLY) | Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, United States | |
| 2 | 61.24 miles (98.56 km) ENE | Rampart Airport (RMP) | Rampart, Alaska, United States | |
| 3 | 72.60 miles (116.83 km) NW | Indian Mountain LRRS Airport (UTO) | Utopia Creek, Alaska, United States | |
| 4 | 79.56 miles (128.05 km) E | Minto Al Wright Airport (MNT) | Minto, Alaska, United States | |
| 5 | 83.15 miles (133.81 km) NE | Five Mile Airport (FMC) | Five Mile, Alaska, United States | |
| 6 | 85.74 miles (137.98 km) NW | Hughes Airport (HUS) | Hughes, Alaska, United States | |
| 7 | 89.20 miles (143.55 km) S | Minchumina Airport (LMA) | Lake Minchumina, Alaska, United States | |
| 8 | 89.20 miles (143.55 km) S | Minchumina Airport (MHM) | Minchumina, Alaska, United States | |
| 9 | 96.27 miles (154.93 km) N | Allakaket Airport (AET) | Allakaket, Alaska, United States | |
| 10 | 99.07 miles (159.43 km) ESE | Nenana Municipal Airport (ENN) | Nenana, Alaska, United States | |
| 11 | 103.04 miles (165.82 km) WSW | Ruby Airport (RBY) | Ruby, Alaska, United States | |
| 12 | 104.84 miles (168.72 km) NE | Stevens Village Airport (SVS) | Stevens Village, Alaska, United States | |
| 13 | 120.55 miles (194.00 km) NNE | Prospect Creek Airport (PPC) | Prospect Creek, Alaska, United States | |
| 14 | 121.28 miles (195.18 km) N | Bettles Airport (BTT) | Bettles, Alaska, United States | |
| 15 | 126.65 miles (203.82 km) E | Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,279.69 miles (16,543.52 km) S | Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| 2 | 10,271.05 miles (16,529.60 km) S | George Airport (GRJ) | George, South Africa | |
| 3 | 10,251.64 miles (16,498.37 km) S | Port Alfred Airport (AFD) | Port Alfred, South Africa | |
| 4 | 10,246.07 miles (16,489.41 km) SSE | Cape Town International Airport (CPT) | Cape Town, South Africa | |
| 5 | 10,216.18 miles (16,441.30 km) S | East London Airport (ELS) | East London, South Africa | |
| 6 | 10,113.08 miles (16,275.39 km) S | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 7 | 10,063.54 miles (16,195.66 km) S | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 8 | 9,998.71 miles (16,091.33 km) S | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 9 | 9,995.30 miles (16,085.83 km) S | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 10 | 9,992.56 miles (16,081.43 km) S | Mafeteng Airport (MFC) | Mafeteng, Lesotho | |
| 11 | 9,989.51 miles (16,076.51 km) S | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |
| 12 | 9,979.69 miles (16,060.71 km) S | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 13 | 9,979.40 miles (16,060.25 km) SE | Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM) | Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica | |
| 14 | 9,976.08 miles (16,054.91 km) S | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 15 | 9,969.28 miles (16,043.96 km) S | Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) | Maseru, Lesotho | |