Nonstop flight route between Ruislip, England, United Kingdom and Akutan, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Northolt (NHT), Ruislip, England, United Kingdom and Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA), Akutan, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,086 miles (or 8,185 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 RAF Northolt and Akutan 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 RAF Northolt and Akutan 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 RAF Northolt (NHT):

• The closest airport to RAF Northolt (NHT) is London Heathrow Airport (LHR), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) SSW of NHT.
• In January 2012, it was reported that the future of station was under review by the Ministry of Defence as part of efforts to reduce defence spending.
• Construction of the new aerodrome, to be named "RFC Military School, Ruislip", began in January 1915.
• RAF Northolt became home to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's personal aircraft, a modified Douglas C-54 Skymaster, in June 1944.
• Much media attention focused on the airfield when the body of Diana, Princess of Wales, arrived there from Villacoublay airfield, in Paris, France, after her death in a car crash in the city on 31 August 1997.
• The furthest airport from RAF Northolt (NHT) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,871 miles (19,105 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Thirty Allied airmen including servicemen from Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand, Poland and the United Kingdom were killed flying from RAF Northolt during the Battle of Britain, of whom ten were Polish.

Facts about Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA):

• The closest airport to Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA) is Unalaska Airport (DUT), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) WSW of KQA.
• In addition to being known as "Akutan Seaplane Base", another name for KQA is "was KQA".
• The furthest airport from Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 11,027 miles (17,747 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Akutan Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Akutan 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.