Nonstop flight route between Araxos / Patras, Greece and Fairbanks, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Araxos Airport (GPA), Araxos / Patras, Greece and Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,306 miles (or 8,538 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 Araxos Airport and Eielson Air Force Base, 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 Araxos Airport and Eielson Air Force Base. 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 Araxos Airport (GPA):

• Because of Araxos Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Araxos 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.
• In addition to being known as "Araxos Airport", another name for GPA is "Αεροδρόμιο Αράξου".
• The furthest airport from Araxos Airport (GPA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,428 miles (18,392 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Araxos was established as a military airport in 1936, but was construction of the runway not completed until 1941, when it also became the site of the first radar installation in Greece.
• Araxos Airport (GPA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Araxos Airport (GPA) is Agrinio Airport (AGQ), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) N of GPA.

Facts about Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):

• 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.
• 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.
• The 375th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, from the 308th Bombardment Group at Tinker AFB Oklahoma, arrived at Eielson on 5 March 1949.
• 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 July 1960, the Strategic Air Command stationed the 4157th Combat Support Group at Eielson.
• In addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
• Until 2007, Eielson was a front line base, deploying fighter and bomber units around the world as well as providing for the defense of Alaska.