Nonstop flight route between Libreville, Gabon and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (LBV), Libreville, Gabon and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,034 miles (or 12,929 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 Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport and Elmendorf 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 Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport and Elmendorf 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 Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (LBV):

• Because of Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport's relatively low elevation of 39 feet, planes can take off or land at Libreville Leon M'ba International 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.
• Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (LBV) currently has only 1 runway.
• Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport handled 721,411 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (LBV) is Bata Airport (BSG), which is located 104 miles (167 kilometers) NNE of LBV.
• The furthest airport from Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (LBV) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is nearly antipodal to Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (meaning Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Canton Island Airport), and is located 12,259 miles (19,730 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• On 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.
• 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 uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major buildup of air defense forces in Alaska.
• The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• The strategic importance of Elmendorf AFB was graphically realized during the spring of 1980 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed eight of its F-4Es to Korea to participate in exercise Team Spirit.
• The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991.