Nonstop flight route between Port Alexander, Alaska, United States and Tacoma, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from PTD to TCM:
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- About this route
- PTD Airport Information
- TCM Airport Information
- Facts about PTD
- Facts about TCM
- Map of Nearest Airports to PTD
- List of Nearest Airports to PTD
- Map of Furthest Airports from PTD
- List of Furthest Airports from PTD
- Map of Nearest Airports to TCM
- List of Nearest Airports to TCM
- Map of Furthest Airports from TCM
- List of Furthest Airports from TCM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD), Port Alexander, Alaska, United States and McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 815 miles (or 1,311 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 relatively short distance between Port Alexander Seaplane Base and McChord Field/McChord AFB, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | PTD / PAAP |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Port Alexander, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 56°14'48"N by 134°38'53"W |
| Area Served: | Port Alexander, Alaska |
| Operator/Owner: | Alaska DOT&PF - Southeast Region |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 0 feet (0 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PTD |
| More Information: | PTD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | TCM / KTCM |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 47°8'16"N by 122°28'35"W |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military: Air Force Base |
| Elevation: | 322 feet (98 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from TCM |
| More Information: | TCM Maps & Info |
Facts about Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD):
- The closest airport to Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) is Point Baker Seaplane Base (KPB), which is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) E of PTD.
- Because of Port Alexander Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Alexander 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.
- Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Port Alexander Seaplane Base", another name for PTD is "AHP".
- The furthest airport from Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 10,640 miles (17,123 kilometers) away in Port Alfred, South Africa.
- Port Alexander Seaplane Base is a state owned, public use seaplane base located in Port Alexander, a city at the southeastern corner of Baranof Island in the Petersburg Census Area of the U.S.
Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):
- On 1 August 1946, McChord was assigned to the new Air Defense Command, with a mission of air defense of the United States.
- The furthest airport from McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,803 miles (17,386 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- With the departure of the 17th Bomb Group, the mission of McChord Field became supporting the Army Air Forces Training Command's mission of training of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.
- Because of McChord Field/McChord AFB's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at McChord Field/McChord AFB 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.
- On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the United States Government.
- The closest airport to McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) is Gray Army Airfield (GRF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SW of TCM.
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
- McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
- Today, the successor organization to the 25th AD, the Western Air Defense Sector, is a major tenant organization at McChord, being one of two air defense sectors responsible for the security and integrity of continental United States air space.
- The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.
