Nonstop flight route between Dessie / Kombolcha, Ethiopia and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Combolcha Airport (DSE), Dessie / Kombolcha, Ethiopia and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,432 miles (or 11,961 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 Combolcha 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 Combolcha 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 Combolcha Airport (DSE):

• On 7 October 1981, Douglas C-47A ET-AHR of Ethiopian Airlines was damaged beyond repair when the undercarriage collapsed on landing.
• The furthest airport from Combolcha Airport (DSE) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Combolcha Airport (meaning Combolcha Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,311 miles (19,813 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Because of Combolcha Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Combolcha 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 Combolcha Airport (DSE) is Mekane Selam Airport (MKS), which is located 70 miles (113 kilometers) WSW of DSE.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The group initially conducted training with two squadrons flying the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash" and two squadrons Group, was a part of Strategic Air Command from July 1947 – May 1951, at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana as an Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel.
• 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 Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately 8.4 miles west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina.
• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• 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.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.