Nonstop flight route between St. Mary's, Alaska, United States and West Lafayette, Indiana, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from KSM to LAF:
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- About this route
- KSM Airport Information
- LAF Airport Information
- Facts about KSM
- Facts about LAF
- Map of Nearest Airports to KSM
- List of Nearest Airports to KSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from KSM
- List of Furthest Airports from KSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAF
- List of Nearest Airports to LAF
- Map of Furthest Airports from LAF
- List of Furthest Airports from LAF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between St. Mary's Airport (KSM), St. Mary's, Alaska, United States and Purdue University Airport (LAF), West Lafayette, Indiana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,382 miles (or 5,442 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 St. Mary's Airport and Purdue University 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 St. Mary's Airport and Purdue University Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | KSM / PASM |
Airport Name: | St. Mary's Airport |
Location: | St. Mary's, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 62°3'38"N by 163°18'6"W |
Operator/Owner: | Alaska DOT&PF |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 312 feet (95 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from KSM |
More Information: | KSM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAF / KLAF |
Airport Name: | Purdue University Airport |
Location: | West Lafayette, Indiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 40°24'43"N by 86°56'12"W |
Area Served: | Lafayette, Indiana |
Operator/Owner: | Purdue University |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 606 feet (185 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LAF |
More Information: | LAF Maps & Info |
Facts about St. Mary's Airport (KSM):
- The closest airport to St. Mary's Airport (KSM) is Mountain Village Airport (MOU), which is located only 13 miles (20 kilometers) W of KSM.
- St. Mary's Airport (KSM) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from St. Mary's Airport (KSM) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,494 miles (16,889 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
- Because of St. Mary's Airport's relatively low elevation of 312 feet, planes can take off or land at St. Mary's 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 Purdue University Airport (LAF):
- Purdue University Airport also had its own airline, Purdue Airlines in the 1960s and 1970s.
- In the early 60s, runway 10-28 and a larger hangar were built to support the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction with two DC-6 aircraft.
- Purdue University Airport was the first university-owned airport in the United States.
- The closest airport to Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Kentland Municipal Airport (KKT), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NW of LAF.
- Purdue University Airport (LAF) has 2 runways.
- Runway 23 has a displaced threshold, which shortens the runway to 3,913 ft for landing operations.
- Because of Purdue University Airport's relatively low elevation of 606 feet, planes can take off or land at Purdue University 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 Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,148 miles (17,941 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- President Ronald Reagan and Air Force One visited Purdue University Airport on April 9, 1987.