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):
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Port Alexander Seaplane Base", another name for PTD is "AHP".
- Port Alexander Seaplane Base (PTD) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- Port Alexander Seaplane Base has one seaplane landing area designated N/S which measures 3,000 by 300 feet.
- 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.
Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
- McChord also had large maintenance facilities for Air Technical Service Command during the war, serving served as a P-39 Aircobra modification center April 1944 – May 1945 for lend-lease aircraft being sent to Russia via the Alaska Territory.
- 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.
- On 1 August 1946, McChord was assigned to the new Air Defense Command, with a mission of air defense of the United States.
- Nearly all new heavy bomb groups organized after Pearl Harbor were organized and trained at Second Air Force Bases, by II Bomber Command operational training units then were deployed to combat commands around the world.
- 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.
- In 1947 Tactical Air Command moved the 62d Troop Carrier Group to McChord Field from Bergstrom Field, Texas.
- McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
- 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.
