Nonstop flight route between Gotō, Nagasaki, Japan and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fukue Airport (FUJ), Gotō, Nagasaki, Japan and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,624 miles (or 4,223 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 Fukue 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 Fukue 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 Fukue Airport (FUJ):

• In addition to being known as "Fukue Airport", other names for FUJ include "Gotō-Fukue Airport", "福江空港" and "Fukue Kūkō".
• Fukue Airport (FUJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Fukue Airport (FUJ) is Nagasaki Airport (NGS), which is located 65 miles (105 kilometers) ENE of FUJ.
• Because of Fukue Airport's relatively low elevation of 251 feet, planes can take off or land at Fukue 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 furthest airport from Fukue Airport (FUJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is nearly antipodal to Fukue Airport (meaning Fukue Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Rio Grande Regional Airport), and is located 12,366 miles (19,901 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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 news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.
• 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 Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• In 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.