Nonstop flight route between Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada and Anchorage, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY), Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada and Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), Anchorage, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 494 miles (or 796 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 relatively short distance between Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport and Elmendorf Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY):

• The furthest airport from Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,398 miles (16,734 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport (YXY) is Haines Junction Airport (YHT), which is located 84 miles (135 kilometers) W of YXY.
• In addition to being known as "Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport", another name for YXY is "Whitehorse/Erik Nielsen International Airport".
• In addition to scheduled commercial service, numerous small air charter operators and bush pilots use the airport and it serves as a major base for water bombers used in forest firefighting operations.
• During the September 11, 2001, attacks, two aircraft approaching the United States from Asia were diverted to Whitehorse as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon.

Facts about Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF):

• In addition to being known as "Elmendorf Air Force Base", another name for EDF is "JB Elmendorf-Richardson".
• The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands of the Vietnam War.
• That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991.
• The closest airport to Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Merrill Field (MRI), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SSW of EDF.
• The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
• The furthest airport from Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,542 miles (16,965 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• On 22 September 1995, a Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne early warning and control aircraft with 22 USAF personnel and two Canadian air crew members crashed after ingesting a flock of Canada Geese, killing all on board.
• The installation hosts the headquarters for the United States Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force, U.S.
• Following World War II, Elmendorf assumed an increasing role in the defense of North America as the uncertain wartime relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated into the Cold War.
• Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent military airfield near Anchorage.
• On 16 November 2010, a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor took off for a training mission.