Nonstop flight route between Bikaner, India and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB), Bikaner, India and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,123 miles (or 8,244 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 Bikaner Air Force Base 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 Bikaner Air Force Base 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 Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB):

• Nal Airport also known as Bikaner Air Force Station is located 13 kilometres west of Bikaner in the state of Rajasthan, India.
• Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB) is Jodhpur Airport (JDH), which is located 126 miles (203 kilometers) S of BKB.
• The furthest airport from Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is nearly antipodal to Bikaner Air Force Base (meaning Bikaner Air Force Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mataveri International Airport), and is located 12,264 miles (19,737 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Because of Bikaner Air Force Base's relatively low elevation of 750 feet, planes can take off or land at Bikaner Air Force Base 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.
• Bikaner Airport construction has been completed in August 2013.
• In addition to being known as "Bikaner Air Force Base", other names for BKB include "Nal Airport", "बीकानेर एयर फोर्स बेस" and "नाल हवाई अड्डे".

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• In July 1973, Raytheon won a contract to build a system called COBRA DANE on Shemya.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• 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.