Nonstop flight route between Walla Walla, Washington, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base (ALW), Walla Walla, Washington, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,960 miles (or 4,763 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 Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base and Eareckson Air Station, 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 Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base and Eareckson Air Station. 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 Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base (ALW):

• Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base (ALW) has 3 runways.
• Walla Walla Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Walla Walla, a city in Walla Walla County in the U.S.
• The furthest airport from Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base (ALW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,768 miles (17,330 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Walla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Army Air Base (ALW) is Eastern Oregon Regional Airport (PDT), which is located 38 miles (62 kilometers) SW of ALW.
• The airport was the location of the U.S.
• Historically, Walla Walla had scheduled passenger jet service in the past provided by West Coast Airlines which operated Douglas DC-9-14 jetliners and also by Cascade Airways which flew British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twinjets.
• In 1947 the United States Air Force declared the Walla Walla Airfield surplus and on December 1, 1947 the City and County took over operations.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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.
• 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 limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.