Nonstop flight route between Wichita, Kansas, United States and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Beech Factory Airport (BEC), Wichita, Kansas, United States and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 971 miles (or 1,563 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 Beech Factory 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 Beech Factory Airport (BEC):

• The airport was founded in 1928 as part of a 148 acre land tract purchased from the city to house the Knoll Aircraft Company.
• Other airports in the Wichita metro area
• Beech Factory Airport covers an area of 1,280 acres at an elevation of 1,408 feet above mean sea level.
• Beech Factory Airport (BEC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Beech Factory Airport (BEC) is Cessna Aircraft Field (CEA), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) SSW of BEC.
• The furthest airport from Beech Factory Airport (BEC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,735 miles (17,276 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• 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 closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
• Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee BT-13 Valiants.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.