Nonstop flight route between Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Merrill Field (MRI), Anchorage, Alaska, United States and Volk Field Air National Guard Base (VOK), Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,653 miles (or 4,270 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 Merrill Field and Volk Field Air National Guard 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 Merrill Field and Volk Field Air National Guard 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 Merrill Field (MRI):

• Merrill Field, located on the east end of 5th Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska, was the only airport serving Anchorage until 1951 when the introduction of ever larger and faster commercial aircraft required that an airfield with longer and heavier runways be built.
• The furthest airport from Merrill Field (MRI) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,545 miles (16,970 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Merrill Field (MRI) has 3 runways.
• The airstrip is still in use today as the primary field for private wheel equipped aircraft in the warmer months and for ski equipped in the winter.
• Because of Merrill Field's relatively low elevation of 137 feet, planes can take off or land at Merrill 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.
• The closest airport to Merrill Field (MRI) is Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) NNE of MRI.
• The offices of the Alaska Dispatch, parent company of the Anchorage Daily News, are located on Merrill Field.

Facts about Volk Field Air National Guard Base (VOK):

• The closest airport to Volk Field Air National Guard Base (VOK) is Sparta/Fort McCoy Airport (CMY), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) W of VOK.
• The furthest airport from Volk Field Air National Guard Base (VOK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,917 miles (17,570 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Volk Field Air National Guard Base (VOK) currently has only 1 runway.
• During the Cuban missile crisis a majority of B-47 bombers with capability to drop nuclear payloads were "dispersed" to Volk, among other bases, to make it harder for the Soviets to threaten USAF assets.
• Because of Volk Field Air National Guard Base's relatively low elevation of 912 feet, planes can take off or land at Volk Field Air National Guard 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.
• The origin of the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center can be traced back to 1888 when the State Adjutant General, General Chandler Chapman, purchased a site for a rifle range and offered it to the state for a camp.