Nonstop flight route between St. Joseph, Missouri, United States and Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ), St. Joseph, Missouri, United States and Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,695 miles (or 4,338 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 Rosecrans Memorial Airport and Ladd Army Airfield, 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 Rosecrans Memorial Airport and Ladd Army Airfield. 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 Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ):

• The closest airport to Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) is Sherman Army AirfieldSherman Air Force Base (FLV), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) S of STJ.
• The Great Flood of 1951 damaged many of the temporary World War II airport buildings beyond economical repair.
• In addition to being known as "Rosecrans Memorial Airport", another name for STJ is "Rosecrans Army Airfield".
• Because of Rosecrans Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 826 feet, planes can take off or land at Rosecrans Memorial 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.
• Rosecrans ANGB is currently home to the 139th Airlift Wing, an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the Missouri Air National Guard, which functions as the host wing for the installation.
• Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,738 miles (17,281 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Ladd Army Airfield (FBK):

• From the late 1940s into the 1950s, Ladd AFB served as the northern hub for Air Force activities in Alaska.
• The furthest airport from Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,286 miles (16,554 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) is Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) WSW of FBK.
• In 1948, as Cold War tensions heightened, the Army's 2nd Infantry sent ground defense soldiers to Ladd
• Alaska's transportation infrastructure at the time was so limited and the problem of military supply so acute, it also made sense to concentrate the bases along existing supply lines near Anchorage and Fairbanks.
• In addition to being known as "Ladd Army Airfield", another name for FBK is "(Ladd Air Force Base)".
• Because of Ladd Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 454 feet, planes can take off or land at Ladd Army Airfield 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.