Nonstop flight route between Beluga, Alaska, United States and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Beluga Airport (BVU), Beluga, Alaska, United States and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,558 miles (or 5,726 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 Beluga Airport and Shaw Air Force Base, 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 Beluga Airport and Shaw Air Force Base. 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 Beluga Airport (BVU):

• In addition to being known as "Beluga Airport", another name for BVU is "BLG".
• Beluga Airport (BVU) has 2 runways.
• Beluga Airport is a private use airport located in Beluga, in the Kenai Peninsula Borough of the U.S.
• Because of Beluga Airport's relatively low elevation of 87 feet, planes can take off or land at Beluga 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.
• The closest airport to Beluga Airport (BVU) is Tyonek Airport (TYE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSW of BVU.
• The furthest airport from Beluga Airport (BVU) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,552 miles (16,982 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 2,541 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 2,410 enplanements in 2009, and 2,144 in 2010.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• 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.
• Following Desert Storm, the 19th and 33d Tactical Fighter Squadrons deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, a coalition effort to enforce the Iraqi "No Fly Zone" south of the 32nd parallel north.
• On 25 June 1953, the 66th TRW departed Shaw, being reassigned to Sembach Air Base, West Germany.