Nonstop flight route between Oranjestad, Aruba and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA), Oranjestad, Aruba and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,623 miles (or 2,612 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 Queen Beatrix International Airport and Shaw 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 Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA):

• This airport used to serve as the hub for bankrupt airline Air Aruba, which was for many years an international airline.
• In 2011, the airport was voted fourth in a list of the world's top 10 airport approaches in a survey conducted by PrivateFly.com.
• The furthest airport from Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to Queen Beatrix International Airport (meaning Queen Beatrix International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,113 miles (19,494 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• Because of Queen Beatrix International Airport's relatively low elevation of 60 feet, planes can take off or land at Queen Beatrix International 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.
• The closest airport to Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) is Josefa Camejo International Airport (LSP), which is located 51 miles (81 kilometers) S of AUA.
• Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Queen Beatrix International Airport", another name for AUA is "Internationale luchthaven Koningin BeatrixAeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix".
• During World War II the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force defending Caribbean shipping and the Panama Canal against German submarines.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• In October 1942, the flight training was changed to Advanced flying training and AT-6 Texan single-engine and Beech AT-10 twin-engine trainers were used.
• On March 23, 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw.
• The furthest airport from Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,545 miles (18,580 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• On 9 August 1990, the 17th and 33d TFS of 363d TFW became the first F-16 squadrons to deploy to the United Arab Emirates in Operation Desert Shield.