Nonstop flight route between Eldoret, Kenya and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eldoret International Airport (EDL), Eldoret, Kenya and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,069 miles (or 12,986 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 Eldoret International 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 Eldoret International 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 Eldoret International Airport (EDL):

• Because of Eldoret International Airport's high elevation of 7,050 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at EDL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make EDL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Eldoret International Airport (EDL) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,679 miles (18,795 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• Eldoret International Airport (EDL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport was established in 1995.
• The closest airport to Eldoret International Airport (EDL) is Kimwarer Airport (KRV), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) E of EDL.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• The base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• 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.
• 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 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.