Nonstop flight route between Ghanzi, Botswana and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ghanzi Airport (GNZ), Ghanzi, Botswana and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,712 miles (or 12,412 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 Ghanzi 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 Ghanzi 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 Ghanzi Airport (GNZ):

• The airport has a bitumen sealed 1500 metres long and 18 metres wide runway and is designed to handle light aircraft with Maximum All Up Weight of 5700 kg.
• Ghanzi Airport is located about 600 km west of Gaborone, in the Ghanzi District.
• The closest airport to Ghanzi Airport (GNZ) is Hukuntsi Airport (HUK), which is located 159 miles (256 kilometers) S of GNZ.
• The furthest airport from Ghanzi Airport (GNZ) is Dillingham Airfield (HDH), which is nearly antipodal to Ghanzi Airport (meaning Ghanzi Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dillingham Airfield), and is located 12,425 miles (19,995 kilometers) away in Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States.
• Because of Ghanzi Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Ghanzi 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.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• 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.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.
• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
• In addition to the 363d TRW, Headquarters Ninth Air Force was transferred to Shaw from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina on 1 September 1954.