Nonstop flight route between Tacoma, Washington, United States and Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from TCM to PTA:
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- About this route
- TCM Airport Information
- PTA Airport Information
- Facts about TCM
- Facts about PTA
- Map of Nearest Airports to TCM
- List of Nearest Airports to TCM
- Map of Furthest Airports from TCM
- List of Furthest Airports from TCM
- Map of Nearest Airports to PTA
- List of Nearest Airports to PTA
- Map of Furthest Airports from PTA
- List of Furthest Airports from PTA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM), Tacoma, Washington, United States and Port Alsworth Airport (PTA), Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,561 miles (or 2,513 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 McChord Field/McChord AFB and Port Alsworth Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure 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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | PTA / PALJ |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 60°12'15"N by 154°19'8"W |
| Area Served: | Port Alsworth, Alaska |
| Operator/Owner: | Glen Alsworth, Sr. |
| Airport Type: | Private |
| Elevation: | 280 feet (85 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PTA |
| More Information: | PTA Maps & Info |
Facts about McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM):
- 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 ADC radar site was deactivated 1 April 1960 and repositioned to Fort Lawton AFS where the Air Force consolidated its anti-aircraft radars with the United States Army Seattle Defense Area Army Air-Defense Command Post S-90DC for Nike missile operations.
- 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.
- McChord Field/McChord AFB (TCM) has 2 runways.
- 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.
- 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.
- The 62d Airlift Wing is the host unit at McChord Field.
- The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
- Following the end of the war in Europe, McChord redeployed thousands of troops arriving from the European theater to the Pacific as part of Air Transport Command.
Facts about Port Alsworth Airport (PTA):
- The closest airport to Port Alsworth Airport (PTA) is Nondalton Airport (NNL), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) SW of PTA.
- Port Alsworth Airport (PTA) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Port Alsworth Airport's relatively low elevation of 280 feet, planes can take off or land at Port Alsworth 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.
- In addition to being known as "Port Alsworth Airport", other names for PTA include "TPO" and "Port Alsworth".
- The furthest airport from Port Alsworth Airport (PTA) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,625 miles (17,100 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
