Nonstop flight route between Tonopah, Nevada, United States and Gambell, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD), Tonopah, Nevada, United States and Gambell Airport (GAM), Gambell, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,859 miles (or 4,602 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 Tonopah Test Range Airport and Gambell 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 Tonopah Test Range Airport and Gambell 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 Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD):

• The Tonopah Range Airport first opened in 1957, supporting operations on the Test Range itself, which was used for United States Atomic Energy Commission ) funded weapon programs.
• On 12 August 1968, the IDF obtained two Syrian Air Force MiG-17F fighters that had gotten lost during a training flight and landed inadvertently at Besert Landing Field, Israel.
• The closest airport to Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD) is Tonopah Airport (TPH), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) NW of XSD.
• In addition, unconfirmed Soviet aircraft flown were MiG-25 Foxbat.
• The furthest airport from Tonopah Test Range Airport (XSD) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,207 miles (18,036 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In July 1975, the 4477th Tactical Evaluation Flight was formed at Nellis AFB as tactical evaluation organization.
• In 1997, the United States purchased 21 Moldovan aircraft for evaluation and analysis, under the Cooperative Threat Reduction accord.

Facts about Gambell Airport (GAM):

• The closest airport to Gambell Airport (GAM) is Savoonga Airport (SVA), which is located 38 miles (62 kilometers) E of GAM.
• The furthest airport from Gambell Airport (GAM) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,421 miles (16,771 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• On 30 August 1975, Wien Air Alaska Flight 99, a Fairchild F-27B on approach to landing, crashed into Sevuokuk Mountain after multiple missed approaches, killing the pilot and co-pilot and eight others out of the 32 crew and passengers on board.
• Gambell Airport was used as a transport base during World War II, facilitating the transit of Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union.
• Gambell Airport (GAM) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Gambell Airport", another name for GAM is "(former Gambell Army Airfield)".
• Because of Gambell Airport's relatively low elevation of 27 feet, planes can take off or land at Gambell 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.