Nonstop flight route between Chiang Rai, Thailand and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI), Chiang Rai, Thailand and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,711 miles (or 14,019 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 Chiang Rai International 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 Chiang Rai International 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 Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI):

• It consists of a single passenger terminal which features a Dairy Queen outlet as well as a Black Canyon Coffee along with several other shops, with both the international and domestic arrivals and departures handled on the same floor but in separate areas.
• The airport handles over 800,000 passengers, 5,800 aircraft movements and 3,700 tons of cargo.
• The closest airport to Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) is Tachilek Airport (THL), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) N of CEI.
• A new road which can be accessed by turning left upon exiting the airport also leads southbound to the city centre and is a less congested route, as it is not used by intercity buses heading north.
• Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Chiang Rai International Airport handled 1,053,863 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) is Maria Reiche Neuman Airport (NZC), which is located 11,947 miles (19,227 kilometers) away in Nazca, Ica Region, Peru.
• In addition to being known as "Chiang Rai International Airport", another name for CEI is "ท่าอากาศยานแม่ฟ้าหลวง เชียงราย".

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee BT-13 Valiants.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• After the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military branch in September 1947, Shaw Army Airfield was renamed Shaw Air Force Base, on 13 January 1948 and the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated on 15 August 1947 with the implementation of the Hobson Plan.
• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• 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.
• 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.