Nonstop flight route between Orlando, Florida, United States and Fairbanks, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, Florida, United States and Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,747 miles (or 6,030 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 Orlando International 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 Orlando International 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 Orlando International Airport (MCO):

• Orlando International Airport handled 34,877,899 passengers last year.
• During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, McCoy AFB became a forward operating base for more than 120 F-100 Super Sabre and F-105 Thunderchief fighter bombers and the primary base for U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flying over Cuba.
• The original terminal building, a converted hangar, was described as inadequate for the task at hand even when it was first opened as Orlando Jetport.
• In 1978, MCO handled 5 million passengers.
• In the early 1970s Delta, National, and Eastern Airlines began 'widebody' flights to MCO, National with the DC-10-10 and −30 and Delta and Eastern Airlines with the L-1011.
• The furthest airport from Orlando International Airport (MCO) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,506 miles (18,517 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Orlando International Airport (MCO) has 4 runways.
• Because of Orlando International Airport's relatively low elevation of 96 feet, planes can take off or land at Orlando 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.
• The closest airport to Orlando International Airport (MCO) is Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) N of MCO.

Facts about Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):

• The Air Defense Command deployed interceptors to Eielson during the 1960s.
• The 375th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, from the 308th Bombardment Group at Tinker AFB Oklahoma, arrived at Eielson on 5 March 1949.
• 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.
• Eielson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and just southeast of Moose Creek, Alaska.
• A year later, however, Eielson moved from under the shadow of Ladd Field when the Alaskan Air Command assumed organizational control.
• The 720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, equipped with F-86 Sabres, was deployed to Eielson during 1954–55.
• For the next 34 years, the 5010th served as host-unit at Eielson.
• 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 addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
• Operational uses of Mile 26 were few.
• A new chapter for the base began 1 October 1981 when the 343d Composite Wing replaced the 5010th as Eielson's host unit.