Nonstop flight route between Alpena, Michigan, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alpena County Regional Airport (APN), Alpena, Michigan, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,272 miles (or 6,876 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 Alpena County Regional Airport 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 Alpena County Regional Airport 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 Alpena County Regional Airport (APN):

• The closest airport to Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) is Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (OSC), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) S of APN.
• The furthest airport from Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,184 miles (17,999 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Alpena County Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 690 feet, planes can take off or land at Alpena County Regional 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.
• It is said to be the "Proud home of Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center," the host unit of the Michigan Air National Guard's Alpena Air National Guard Base.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 7,519 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 7,638 enplanements in 2009, and 8,737 in 2010.
• Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) has 2 runways.
• Several scenes of the film Die Hard 2 were shot there.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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 August, after the Soviet Union declared war against the Japanese Empire, B-24s were dispatched on reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions to observe the Russian activity in the Kuriles.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
• 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.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".