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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida, United States and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,798 miles (or 6,113 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 Executive Airport and Elmendorf 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 Executive Airport and Elmendorf 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 Executive Airport (ORL):

• Opened in 1928 as the Orlando Municipal Airport, the airport was the first commercial airport in central Florida.
• The closest airport to Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) is Orlando International Airport (MCO), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) S of ORL.
• The furthest airport from Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,503 miles (18,513 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Orlando Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 113 feet, planes can take off or land at Orlando Executive 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.
• Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) has 2 runways.
• The August 1955 diagram shows runway 17 4,480 ft along the west side of the field, runway 18 5,071 ft, runway 4 5,422 ft, runway 10R 5,313 ft and runway 13 5,568 ft.
• In 1961 the airport was renamed again, this time called Herndon Airport after former Orlando city engineer "Pat" Herndon, the name change being in preparation for moving commercial air service to the new Orlando Jetport at McCoy that was to be collocated at McCoy AFB, the facility which is known today as the Orlando International Airport.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The strategic importance of Elmendorf AFB was graphically realized during the spring of 1980 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed eight of its F-4Es to Korea to participate in exercise Team Spirit.
• The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
• The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron, arrived in February 1941.
• Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.