Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Elmendorf Air Force Base lies on the northern edge of Anchorage, Alaska, and today forms the air component of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, home to F-22 Raptors, C-17 Globemasters and Alaska's principal air-defence forces. It is a strictly military airfield with substantial hard-surfaced runways and full ATC and ILS coverage, making it an imposing high-latitude destination for a simulated Arctic operation rather than a field open to general civil traffic.
Elmendorf Air Force Base sits immediately north of downtown Anchorage and is one of the most significant military airfields in Alaska. Originally established in 1940 as Elmendorf Field, it grew into the headquarters for Alaskan air defence and, since 2010, has formed the air side of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), operated by the United States Air Force under Pacific Air Forces. For a simulator pilot it is notable for its long, heavy-duty runways, full instrument approach capability, and its role as home to F-22 Raptor and C-17 Globemaster III units operating in demanding Arctic conditions.
The field lies within controlled airspace on the northern outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, immediately adjacent to the city and close to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. It is administered by Anchorage Approach/Departure for arrivals and departures, with the base itself served by its own tower and ground control. As a military installation forming part of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the surrounding airspace is tightly managed and integrated with Anchorage's wider terminal airspace structure.
Elmendorf has two paired hard-surfaced runways. The main runway, 06/24, is lit and approximately 9,981 feet long, with an ILS serving runway 06. A second, shorter hard-surfaced runway, 16/34, is also lit and approximately 8,031 feet long. Both runways are substantial enough to handle heavy military transport and fighter operations, reflecting the base's role as a major power-projection platform.
Elmendorf operates with a full suite of radio services. Air-to-ground/departure work is handled on 118.6 MHz, with Anchorage Approach/Departure available on 134.1 MHz. The Denali ATIS broadcasts on 124.3 MHz, ground control operates on 121.8 MHz, and the tower frequency is 127.2 MHz. Additional frequencies include 123.1 MHz for the Rescue Coordination Center (EMR), 38.1 MHz for base operations, 34.66 MHz for PMSV Metro, 37.22 MHz (PTD) and 32.71 MHz (SFA). An ILS is provided for runway 06, supporting instrument approaches in the often marginal Alaskan weather.
No civilian joining or circuit procedures are published for this military airfield, and it is not open to general aviation traffic; all arrivals and departures are coordinated through Anchorage Approach/Departure and the base's own tower and ground frequencies.
Elmendorf's air facilities were established in 1940 as Elmendorf Field, named in honour of Captain Hugh M. Elmendorf, a pursuit pilot killed in 1933 while flight-testing an experimental fighter. The first Army Air Corps unit arrived in Alaska in February 1941, and the base expanded rapidly as the Japanese threat in the Pacific grew, becoming Elmendorf Army Air Base in 1942 and taking its current name in 1948 with the creation of the independent US Air Force. During the Second World War it served as the primary logistics and command hub for the Aleutian Islands campaign of 1942-1943, the only battle of that war fought on North American soil. In the post-war years it became headquarters for Alaskan Air Command, and later for the Alaskan NORAD Region and Eleventh Air Force. In 2010, under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, Elmendorf Air Force Base was merged with the neighbouring US Army's Fort Richardson to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The site gained wider notice in August 2025 when it hosted a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Today the airfield is the air component of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, hosting the 673d Air Base Wing as the host unit alongside the 3rd Wing, the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing, and the Air Force Reserve's 477th Fighter Group flying the F-22 Raptor. The 176th Wing operates C-17 Globemaster, C-130 Hercules, HC-130 Hercules and HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft. The base also hosts the headquarters of the Alaska Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. It remains a strictly military installation, not open to the public, and any flight there requires prior permission through military channels.