Nonstop flight route between McAllen, Texas, United States and Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE), McAllen, Texas, United States and Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,429 miles (or 5,519 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 McAllen Miller International Airport and Ladd Army Airfield, 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 McAllen Miller International Airport and Ladd Army Airfield. 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 McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE):

• The furthest airport from McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,187 miles (18,003 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Because of McAllen Miller International Airport's relatively low elevation of 107 feet, planes can take off or land at McAllen Miller 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.
• In 2008, a terminal capacity study was conducted to assess the future needs of the airport and possible terminal expansion to include eight gates, larger ticketing/office area, TSA security area queue.
• The closest airport to McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) is General Lucio Blanco International Airport (REX), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) S of MFE.
• McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) has 2 runways.
• McAllen Miller International Airport is a city owned, public use airport located two nautical miles south of the central business district of McAllen, a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States.

Facts about Ladd Army Airfield (FBK):

• The closest airport to Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) is Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) WSW of FBK.
• In addition to being known as "Ladd Army Airfield", another name for FBK is "(Ladd Air Force Base)".
• When the Air Force was made a separate branch in 1947 the name was changed to Ladd Air Force Base.
• During 1946-1950, personnel from Ladd laid some of the groundwork of the early Cold War with strategic reconnaissance and Arctic research projects.
• Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Ladd Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 454 feet, planes can take off or land at Ladd Army Airfield 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 Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,286 miles (16,554 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Alaska's transportation infrastructure at the time was so limited and the problem of military supply so acute, it also made sense to concentrate the bases along existing supply lines near Anchorage and Fairbanks.