Nonstop flight route between Carbondale/Murphysboro, Illinois, United States and Alexandria, Louisiana, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MDH to ESF:
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- About this route
- MDH Airport Information
- ESF Airport Information
- Facts about MDH
- Facts about ESF
- Map of Nearest Airports to MDH
- List of Nearest Airports to MDH
- Map of Furthest Airports from MDH
- List of Furthest Airports from MDH
- Map of Nearest Airports to ESF
- List of Nearest Airports to ESF
- Map of Furthest Airports from ESF
- List of Furthest Airports from ESF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Southern Illinois Airport (MDH), Carbondale/Murphysboro, Illinois, United States and Esler Field (ESF), Alexandria, Louisiana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 474 miles (or 762 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 relatively short distance between Southern Illinois Airport and Esler Field, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MDH / KMDH |
Airport Name: | Southern Illinois Airport |
Location: | Carbondale/Murphysboro, Illinois, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°46'41"N by 89°15'6"W |
Area Served: | Carbondale / Murphysboro, Illinois |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 411 feet (125 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from MDH |
More Information: | MDH Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | ESF / KESF |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Alexandria, Louisiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 31°23'41"N by 92°17'44"W |
Area Served: | Central Louisiana |
Airport Type: | Public / Military |
Elevation: | 112 feet (34 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from ESF |
More Information: | ESF Maps & Info |
Facts about Southern Illinois Airport (MDH):
- Southern Illinois Airport is also the home operating base for Southern Illinois University's aviation flight and aviation technologies programs.
- An air traffic control tower operates from 7am to 9pm each day and an ASOS weather facility operates on a 24-hour basis.
- Southern Illinois Airport (MDH) has 3 runways.
- The airport opened in 1950 and was originally known as Murdale Airport.
- The furthest airport from Southern Illinois Airport (MDH) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,052 miles (17,786 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Southern Illinois Airport makes a substantial contribution to the local economy.
- The closest airport to Southern Illinois Airport (MDH) is Williamson County Regional Airport (MWA), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) E of MDH.
- The airport is owned and operated by Southern Illinois Airport Authority, a local governmental entity created under state law.
- Because of Southern Illinois Airport's relatively low elevation of 411 feet, planes can take off or land at Southern Illinois 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 Esler Field (ESF):
- Esler Field (ESF) has 2 runways.
- Esler Field, also known as Esler Regional Airport, is a military and public use airfield in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, near the City of Pineville.
- Because of Esler Field's relatively low elevation of 112 feet, planes can take off or land at Esler Field 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.
- After World War I in 1919 the Army had abandoned Camp Beauregard and turned the property over to the state of Louisiana, which returned it to the United States, however interest in the military utilization of Camp Beauregard increased significantly in 1939 when war began in Europe.
- In addition to being known as "Esler Field", another name for ESF is "Esler Regional AirportEsler Army Airfield".
- The furthest airport from Esler Field (ESF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 10,988 miles (17,683 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- In December 1942, the mission was changed to training Reconnaissance units, and Esler was reassigned directly to Third Air Force.
- In 1984, Best Airlines served Esler with nonstop Douglas DC-9-10 jet service to Atlanta, GA and Gulfport, MS.
- The closest airport to Esler Field (ESF) is Alexandria International Airport (AEX), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) WSW of ESF.
- About 60 percent of the airport's operations are military and the rest are civilian.