Nonstop flight route between Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from RKS to AIN:
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- About this route
- RKS Airport Information
- AIN Airport Information
- Facts about RKS
- Facts about AIN
- Map of Nearest Airports to RKS
- List of Nearest Airports to RKS
- Map of Furthest Airports from RKS
- List of Furthest Airports from RKS
- Map of Nearest Airports to AIN
- List of Nearest Airports to AIN
- Map of Furthest Airports from AIN
- List of Furthest Airports from AIN
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS), Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States and Wainwright Airport (AIN), Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,660 miles (or 4,281 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 Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport and Wainwright Airport, 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 Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport and Wainwright Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RKS / KRKS |
| Airport Name: | Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport |
| Location: | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 41°35'39"N by 109°3'55"W |
| Area Served: | Rock Springs, Wyoming |
| Operator/Owner: | Rock Springs & Sweetwater County |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 6765 feet (2,062 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RKS |
| More Information: | RKS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | AIN / PAWI |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 70°38'17"N by 159°59'40"W |
| Area Served: | Wainwright, Alaska |
| Operator/Owner: | North Slope Borough |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 45 feet (14 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from AIN |
| More Information: | AIN Maps & Info |
Facts about Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS):
- The furthest airport from Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,864 miles (17,484 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Because of Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport's high elevation of 6,765 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at RKS. Combined with a high temperature, this could make RKS a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS) is Kemmerer Municipal Airport (EMM), which is located 79 miles (126 kilometers) WNW of RKS.
Facts about Wainwright Airport (AIN):
- The furthest airport from Wainwright Airport (AIN) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,348 miles (16,654 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
- Because of Wainwright Airport's relatively low elevation of 45 feet, planes can take off or land at Wainwright 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.
- The radar station was upgraded in the late 1980s with new radars and in 1989 was re-designated part of the North Warning System as a Long Range Radar Site, A-16, controlled by the Pacific Air Forces 611th Air Support Group, based at Elmendorf AFB.
- Wainwright Airport (AIN) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Wainwright Airport", another name for AIN is "AWI".
- The closest airport to Wainwright Airport (AIN) is Atqasuk Edward Burnell Sr. Memorial Airport (ATK), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) E of AIN.
