Nonstop flight route between Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC), Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,813 miles (or 4,528 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 Ponca City Regional 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 Ponca City Regional 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 Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC):

• Airline flights began in the 1930s, on Braniff.
• The closest airport to Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Earl Henry Airport (BWL), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) WNW of PNC.
• The furthest airport from Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,773 miles (17,338 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport opened in November 1938 with a single 3,600-foot concrete runway.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• Air defense forces reached their zenith in 1957 with almost 200 fighter aircraft assigned to six fighter interceptor squadrons located at Elmendorf AFB and Ladd AFB.
• The installation hosts the headquarters for the United States Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force, U.S.
• The Elmendorf AFB is a site of one of the now decommissioned FLR-9 Wullenweber-class antennas, a node of the now obsolete High Frequency SIGINT direction finding system.
• 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 late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.
• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• 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.