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):
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "McChord Field/McChord AFB", another name for TCM is "Part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)".
- On 6 October 1949, the 62nd received its first four-engine Douglas C-54 Skymaster transport.
- In 1940 McChord Field became the headquarters of the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District, with a mission for the defense of the Pacific Northwest and Upper Great Plains regions of the United States.
- Starting in mid-1943 the training of B-17 and B-24 replacement crews began to be phased out, as the Second Air Force began ramping up training of B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomb groups, destined for Twentieth Air Force.
- 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.
- 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.
- Part of Air Mobility Command
- 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.
- Other wing components are the 62d Maintenance Group, 62d Mission Support Group and 62d Medical Squadron.
- The 62d Operations Group flies the C-17 Globemaster III transport from McChord Field.
Facts about Port Alsworth Airport (PTA):
- In addition to being known as "Port Alsworth Airport", other names for PTA include "TPO" and "Port Alsworth".
- 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.
- The closest airport to Port Alsworth Airport (PTA) is Nondalton Airport (NNL), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) SW of PTA.
- 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.