Nonstop flight route between Skien, Telemark, Norway and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE), Skien, Telemark, Norway and Wainwright Airport (AIN), Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,452 miles (or 5,556 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 Skien Airport, Geiteryggen 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 Skien Airport, Geiteryggen and Wainwright 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 Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE):

• Because of Skien Airport, Geiteryggen's relatively low elevation of 463 feet, planes can take off or land at Skien Airport, Geiteryggen 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 municipal council voted on 19 June 2008 to not give further subsidies to the airport.
• The municipal lot at Gråtenmoen was selected by the appointed municipal airport committee.
• In addition to being known as "Skien Airport, Geiteryggen", another name for SKE is "Skien lufthavn, Geiteryggen".
• Norving's concession was granted in January 1976 and was the first time a formal taxi route concession was granted in Norway.
• General aviation activities at the airport include a base and pilot school operated by Pegasus Helicopter.
• The furthest airport from Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,344 miles (18,257 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Discussions of expanding the runway had been carried out since the 1970s, but the issue had stranded as no-one was willing to finance the venture.
• Coast Aero Center received permission to fly from Stord Airport, Sørstokken via Skien to Oslo in 1987.
• The closest airport to Skien Airport, Geiteryggen (SKE) is Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) E of SKE.
• In early 1976, Norving launched plans for a taxi route between Stavanger Airport, Sola and Skien.
• Skien Airport, Geiteryggen handled 46,995 passengers last year.
• A major upgrade to the airport took place in 1985.

Facts about Wainwright Airport (AIN):

• The LRR site was inactivated in 2007 due to soil erosion and budget concerns.
• The airport was built in 1957 to support the Distant Early Warning Line Radar station at Wainwright.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Wainwright Airport", another name for AIN is "AWI".
• 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.
• Wainwright Airport (AIN) currently has only 1 runway.