Nonstop flight route between Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wake Island Airfield (AWK), Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY), Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,057 miles (or 11,357 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 Wake Island Airfield and Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy 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 Wake Island Airfield and Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport. 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 Wake Island Airfield (AWK):

• On 31 August 2006, the super typhoon Ioke struck Wake Island.
• British Overseas Airways Corporation also used Wake Island as a refueling stop.
• The furthest airport from Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is located 11,652 miles (18,752 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• The first intention to build an air base surfaced in 1935, when Pan American World Airways selected Wake Island as an intermediate support base for their routes to the Far East, especially the Philippines.
• The closest airport to Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is Quoin Hill Airfield (UIQ), which is located 169 miles (272 kilometers) SE of AWK.
• Because of Wake Island Airfield's relatively low elevation of 23 feet, planes can take off or land at Wake Island Airfield 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.
• Between 5 and 29 May 1935, Pan American's air base construction vessel, North Haven, landed supplies and equipment on Wilkes Island for eventual rehandling to Peale Island which, because of its more suitable soil and geology, had been selected as site for the PAA seaplane base.
• Wake Island Airfield (AWK) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY):

• The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency.
• Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,654 miles (18,755 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) is Port Hawkesbury Airport (YPS), which is located 72 miles (117 kilometers) WSW of YQY.
• Because of Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport's relatively low elevation of 203 feet, planes can take off or land at Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy 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.