Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Birao, Central African Republic:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SYA to IRO:
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- About this route
- SYA Airport Information
- IRO Airport Information
- Facts about SYA
- Facts about IRO
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to IRO
- List of Nearest Airports to IRO
- Map of Furthest Airports from IRO
- List of Furthest Airports from IRO
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Birao Airport (IRO), Birao, Central African Republic would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,770 miles (or 12,505 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 Eareckson Air Station and Birao 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 Eareckson Air Station and Birao Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | IRO / FEFI |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Birao, Central African Republic |
GPS Coordinates: | 10°14'13"N by 22°42'58"E |
Area Served: | Birao |
Operator/Owner: | Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1522 feet (464 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from IRO |
More Information: | IRO Maps & Info |
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.
- With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
- The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
- Because of Eareckson Air Station's relatively low elevation of 97 feet, planes can take off or land at Eareckson Air Station 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 aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
- The closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
- The furthest airport from Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,668 miles (17,168 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
Facts about Birao Airport (IRO):
- The closest airport to Birao Airport (IRO) is Gordil Airport (GDI), which is located 81 miles (130 kilometers) SW of IRO.
- Birao Airport (IRO) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Birao Airport (IRO) is Manihiki Island Airport (MHX), which is nearly antipodal to Birao Airport (meaning Birao Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Manihiki Island Airport), and is located 12,184 miles (19,608 kilometers) away in Manihiki Island, Cook Islands.
- In addition to being known as "Birao Airport", another name for IRO is "Birao Airport (Birao)".