Nonstop flight route between Valdosta, Georgia, United States and Fairbanks, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD), Valdosta, Georgia, United States and Eielson Air Force Base (EIL), Fairbanks, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,547 miles (or 5,709 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 Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield and Eielson Air Force Base, 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 Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield and Eielson Air Force Base. 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 Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD):

• Because of Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield's relatively low elevation of 203 feet, planes can take off or land at Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary 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.
• The furthest airport from Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD) is Kalbarri Airport (KAX), which is located 11,359 miles (18,281 kilometers) away in Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD) is Moody Air Force Base (VAD), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) NNE of VLD.
• Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD) has 3 runways.

Facts about Eielson Air Force Base (EIL):

• For the next 34 years, the 5010th served as host-unit at Eielson.
• The furthest airport from Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,295 miles (16,568 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• The host unit at Eielson is the 354th Fighter Wing assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force.
• On 7 June 1943, the Western Defense Command ordered construction of a new airfield near present-day Fort Wainwright, then an Army airfield named after Major Arthur Ladd.
• On 1 December 1947 Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bombers arrived at 26-Mile Airfield with the deployment of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, from Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas.
• The closest airport to Eielson Air Force Base (EIL) is Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NW of EIL.
• The 375th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, from the 308th Bombardment Group at Tinker AFB Oklahoma, arrived at Eielson on 5 March 1949.
• The base reopened in September 1946, once again as a satellite of Ladd Field.
• The 58th Weather Squadron remained at Eielson until 8 August 1958.
• The 6th SW remained at Eielson AFB until 1992.
• Today the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division and the 4th Brigade 25th Infantry Division can be found training there.
• In addition to being known as "Eielson Air Force Base", another name for EIL is "Eielson AFB".
• The Cold War seen the use of Eielson's expansive reservation as a maneuver area for the U.S.