Nonstop flight route between Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia and Tanacross, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rottnest Airport (RTS), Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia and Tanacross Airport (TSG), Tanacross, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,510 miles (or 13,696 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 Rottnest Airport and Tanacross 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 Rottnest Airport and Tanacross Airport. 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 Rottnest Airport (RTS):

• On 12 November 2006 a light twin engine charter aircraft carrying the pilot and five passengers crashed on the edge of the salt lake adjoining the airport.
• The airport opened in November 1930 and has been used regularly since then for private and small commercial operations, ferrying workers and holiday makers between Perth and the island.
• The furthest airport from Rottnest Airport (RTS) is L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), which is nearly antipodal to Rottnest Airport (meaning Rottnest Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from L.F. Wade International Airport), and is located 12,409 miles (19,970 kilometers) away in Ferry Reach (near Hamilton), Bermuda.
• Rottnest Airport (RTS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Woods Airways which was run by pioneer aviator Jimmy Woods, operated the Perth to Rottnest service from about 1948 with two war-surplus Royal Australian Air Force Avro Anson aircraft.
• The closest airport to Rottnest Airport (RTS) is Jandakot Airport (JAD), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) ESE of RTS.
• Because of Rottnest Airport's relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Rottnest 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.
• At one stage, the 32 km Perth to Rottnest flight was the world's shortest scheduled air route.
• The single 1,290 m × 18 m runway runs east-west and is situated behind Thomsons Bay and south of Government House Lake.

Facts about Tanacross Airport (TSG):

• The furthest airport from Tanacross Airport (TSG) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,351 miles (16,659 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The closest airport to Tanacross Airport (TSG) is Tok Airport (TKJ), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) ESE of TSG.
• In addition to being known as "Tanacross Airport", another name for TSG is "Tanacross Air Base".
• Tanacross Airport (TSG) has 2 runways.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 80 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 32 enplanements in 2009, and 97 in 2010.
• Constructed 1943, activated September 20 by Air Transport Command as Station #16, Alaskan Wing, later 1464th AAFBU.