Nonstop flight route between Kansas City, Missouri, United States and Bethel, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, Missouri, United States and Bethel Seaplane Base (JBT), Bethel, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,148 miles (or 5,066 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 Kansas City International Airport and Bethel Seaplane 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 Kansas City International Airport and Bethel Seaplane 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 Kansas City International Airport (MCI):

• Kansas City International Airport (MCI) has 3 runways.
• Kansas City International Airport handled 10,148,524 passengers last year.
• Kansas City was planning to build an airport with room for 10,000-foot runways and knew the downtown airport wouldn't do.
• Kansas City International Airport is a public airport 15 miles northwest of downtown Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri.
• A similar design can be found at the Berlin-Tegel Airport and the Cologne Bonn Airport, both in Germany.
• Many design decisions were driven by TWA, which envisioned it would be its hub, with 747s and Supersonic Transports whisking people from America's heartland to all points on the globe.
• Although Mid-Continent merged with Braniff in 1952, Kansas City decided to name the new airport on the basis of Mid-Continent's historic roots.
• The closest airport to Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is Sherman Army AirfieldSherman Air Force Base (FLV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) WNW of MCI.
• The furthest airport from Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,750 miles (17,301 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airport was across US 71 from the Red Crown Tourist Court, where outlaws Bonnie and Clyde engaged in a 1933 shootout with law enforcement, which led to the death of Clyde's brother Buck Barrow and the capture of Buck's wife Blanche Barrow.
• Kansas City eventually annexed the airport.
• The airport property was in an unincorporated area of Platte County until the small town of Platte City, Missouri, annexed the airport during construction.

Facts about Bethel Seaplane Base (JBT):

• The furthest airport from Bethel Seaplane Base (JBT) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,584 miles (17,034 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Bethel Seaplane Base (JBT) is Bethel Airport (BET), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) W of JBT.
• Because of Bethel Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 15 feet, planes can take off or land at Bethel Seaplane Base 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.
• Bethel Seaplane Base (JBT) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Bethel Seaplane Base", another name for JBT is "Z59".