Nonstop flight route between Barnwell, South Carolina, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Barnwell Regional Airport (BNL), Barnwell, South Carolina, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,973 miles (or 8,003 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 Barnwell Regional 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 Barnwell Regional 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 Barnwell Regional Airport (BNL):

• The airport was built by the United States Army Air Forces and opened in May 1943.
• Barnwell Regional Airport is a county owned, public use airport located one nautical mile northwest of the central business district of Barnwell, a city in Barnwell County, South Carolina, United States.
• Barnwell Regional Airport (BNL) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Barnwell Regional Airport", another name for BNL is "Barnwell Army Airfield".
• Because of Barnwell Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 246 feet, planes can take off or land at Barnwell Regional 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.
• Barnwell Regional Airport covers an area of 859 acres at an elevation of 246 feet above mean sea level.
• The furthest airport from Barnwell Regional Airport (BNL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,488 miles (18,488 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Barnwell Regional Airport (BNL) is Aiken Municipal Airport (AIK), which is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) NNW of BNL.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• 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.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• 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.