Nonstop flight route between Greenville, South Carolina, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), Greenville, South Carolina, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,852 miles (or 7,809 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 Greenville Downtown 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 Greenville Downtown 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 Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU):

• The furthest airport from Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,441 miles (18,413 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Greenville Downtown Airport", another name for GMU is "(Greenville Municipal Airport)".
• The closest airport to Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) is Donaldson Center Airport (GDC), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SSW of GMU.
• This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.
• In 1954 Charles Lindbergh dedicated the new terminal.
• The FAA Southern Region selected Joe Frasher, Airport Director of GMU, as the 2008 General Aviation Airport Manager of the Year.
• The Greenville Downtown Airport is governed by a 5-person appointed Commission authorized by Act 919.
• GMU also has a restaurant, the Runway Cafe.
• During World War II the United States Army Air Forces used the airfield for training.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• 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 "  ".
• Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• 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.
• 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.