Nonstop flight route between Île d'Yeu, France and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY), Île d'Yeu, France and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,564 miles (or 8,954 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY):

• The closest airport to Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY) is Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) NE of IDY.
• The furthest airport from Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY) is Christchurch International Airport (CHC), which is nearly antipodal to Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (meaning Île d'Yeu Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christchurch International Airport), and is located 12,104 miles (19,479 kilometers) away in Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Because of Île d'Yeu Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Île d'Yeu Aerodrome 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.
• Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Île d'Yeu Aerodrome", another name for IDY is "Aérodrome d'Ile d'Yeu - Grand Phare".

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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In August, after the Soviet Union declared war against the Japanese Empire, B-24s were dispatched on reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions to observe the Russian activity in the Kuriles.
• 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.