Nonstop flight route between Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Alakanuk, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Alakanuk Airport (AUK), Alakanuk, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,907 miles (or 6,287 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Alakanuk Airport, 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Alakanuk Airport. 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL):

• AFSS is a project to develop an autonomous on-board system that could augment or replace traditional ground-commanded Range Safety flight termination systems.
• The closest airport to Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Accomack County Airport (MFV), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SW of WAL.
• The WFF Main Base is located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula about 5 miles west of Chincoteague, Virginia.
• Major Wallops facilities include FAA-certified runways.
• The furthest airport from Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,785 miles (18,965 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The first payload launched into orbit from Wallops Island was Explorer IX, atop a Scout rocket, on February 15, 1961.
• The WFF Research Airport is located on the Main Base.
• On September 6, 2013, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer was launched from Wallops, atop a Minotaur V rocket.
• For many years WFF was home to the NSIP Sub-SEM and SEM projects.
• Because of Wallops Flight Facility Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wallops Flight Facility 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.

Facts about Alakanuk Airport (AUK):

• In addition to being known as "Alakanuk Airport", another name for AUK is "PAUK".
• The furthest airport from Alakanuk Airport (AUK) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,448 miles (16,814 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Alakanuk Airport resides at elevation of 10 feet above mean sea level.
• Because of Alakanuk Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Alakanuk 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.
• Alakanuk Airport (AUK) currently has only 1 runway.
• A new airport being built west of the city.
• The closest airport to Alakanuk Airport (AUK) is Emmonak Airport (EMK), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) NE of AUK.