Nonstop flight route between Hofuf, Saudi Arabia and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF), Hofuf, Saudi Arabia and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,190 miles (or 11,571 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 Al-Ahsa International 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 Al-Ahsa International 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 Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF):

• Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Al-Ahsa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 588 feet, planes can take off or land at Al-Ahsa International 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.
• In addition to being known as "Al-Ahsa International Airport", another name for HOF is "مطار الأحساء الدولي".
• The furthest airport from Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to Al-Ahsa International Airport (meaning Al-Ahsa International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,122 miles (19,509 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) is King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA), which is located 79 miles (128 kilometers) NNE of HOF.
• Al-Ahsa airport has almost completed the process to acquire the status of international airport.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.
• 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.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.