Nonstop flight route between Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Blackbushe Airport (BBS), Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,243 miles (or 8,437 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 Blackbushe 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 Blackbushe 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 Blackbushe Airport (BBS):

• Overall, Blackbushe Airport is very significant in the UK's aviation history.
• Blackbushe Airport (BBS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Blackbushe Airport (BBS) is Farnborough Airport (FAB), which is located only 5 miles (7 kilometers) SE of BBS.
• During the next ten years, Blackbushe airport became a major base for a number of UK cargo and charter operators including Airwork Limited, Britavia and British Eagle.
• The furthest airport from Blackbushe Airport (BBS) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,884 miles (19,126 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• Unless looking at aerial views or maps, it is hard to visualise that this was once a significant airport for passenger and cargo charter flights for the London area.
• Because of Blackbushe Airport's relatively low elevation of 325 feet, planes can take off or land at Blackbushe 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.
• Later, British Car Auctions took over the airport and developed it as a centre of private, business and executive aviation.
• The RAF Station was closed on 15 November 1946.
• As well as there being plane accidents, there have been many fires within the forests, some natural, others, man made.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• 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.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
• 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.
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.