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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Tanacross Airport (TSG), Tanacross, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,243 miles (or 5,219 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 Tanacross 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 Tanacross 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):

• 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.
• The Wallops Flight Facility also supports science missions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and occasionally for foreign governments and commercial organizations.
• The WFF Main Base is located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula about 5 miles west of Chincoteague, Virginia.
• The first payload launched into orbit from Wallops Island was Explorer IX, atop a Scout rocket, on February 15, 1961.
• Weather measurements and predictions are critical to all Research Airport operations, rocket and balloon launches, and in safely conducting hazardous operations on the ground.
• The WFF mobile range assets have been used to support rocket launches from locations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and at sea.
• 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 closest airport to Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Accomack County Airport (MFV), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SW of WAL.
• In the early years, research at Wallops concentrated on obtaining aerodynamic data at transonic and low supersonic speeds.

Facts about Tanacross Airport (TSG):

• Constructed 1943, activated September 20 by Air Transport Command as Station #16, Alaskan Wing, later 1464th AAFBU.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 80 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 32 enplanements in 2009, and 97 in 2010.
• In addition to being known as "Tanacross Airport", another name for TSG is "Tanacross Air Base".
• Tanacross Airport (TSG) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Tanacross Airport (TSG) is Tok Airport (TKJ), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) ESE of TSG.
• The furthest airport from Tanacross Airport (TSG) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,351 miles (16,659 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.