Nonstop flight route between Vero Beach, Florida, United States and Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB), Vero Beach, Florida, United States and Ladd Army Airfield (FBK), Fairbanks / Fort Wainwright, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,836 miles (or 6,174 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 Vero Beach Municipal 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 Vero Beach Municipal 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 Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB):

• Because of Vero Beach Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at Vero Beach Municipal 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.
• FlightSafety Academy, a leading flight training school and part of FlightSafety International, is also at VRB.
• Vero Beach Municipal Airport is a public airport 1 mile northwest of Vero Beach in Indian River County, Florida, United States.
• The furthest airport from Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,565 miles (18,613 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB) is St. Lucie County International Airport (FPR), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSE of VRB.
• Vero Beach Municipal Airport was dedicated in 1930 and in 1932 Eastern Air Lines began refueling there.
• Vero Beach Municipal Airport (VRB) has 3 runways.

Facts about Ladd Army Airfield (FBK):

• 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.
• 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 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.
• From the late 1940s into the 1950s, Ladd AFB served as the northern hub for Air Force activities in Alaska.
• Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Ice fog became a problem for airplanes landing at the field.
• 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.
• During 1946-1950, personnel from Ladd laid some of the groundwork of the early Cold War with strategic reconnaissance and Arctic research projects.