Nonstop flight route between Kangnung (Gangneung), South Korea and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gangneung Airbase (KAG), Kangnung (Gangneung), South Korea and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,133 miles (or 11,480 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 Gangneung Airbase 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 Gangneung Airbase 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 Gangneung Airbase (KAG):

• Gangneung Airbase (KAG) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1969, Korean Air Lines YS-11 flying from Gangneung Airbase to Gimpo International Airport in Seoul was hijacked by a North Korean agent and forced to land in the North.
• The closest airport to Gangneung Airbase (KAG) is Sokcho Airport (SHO), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NW of KAG.
• In addition to being known as "Gangneung Airbase", another name for KAG is "강릉공항".
• Because of Gangneung Airbase's relatively low elevation of 35 feet, planes can take off or land at Gangneung Airbase 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 Gangneung Airbase (KAG) is Capitán de Corbeta Carlos A. Curbelo International Airport (PDP), which is nearly antipodal to Gangneung Airbase (meaning Gangneung Airbase is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Capitán de Corbeta Carlos A. Curbelo International Airport), and is located 12,136 miles (19,531 kilometers) away in Maldonado/Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities.
• 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.
• The group initially conducted training with two squadrons flying the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash" and two squadrons Group, was a part of Strategic Air Command from July 1947 – May 1951, at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana as an Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel.
• On 1 April 1951, the 363d TRW was transferred to Shaw from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing would remain at Shaw, under various designations, for the next 43 years.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• The 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• Shaw Air Force Base is named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw.
• The 363rd Fighter Wing was inactivated at Shaw AFB on 31 December 1993, and the next day, 1 January 1994, the 20th Fighter Wing inactivated at RAF Upper Heyford and reactivated without personnel or equipment at Shaw AFB, returning to the base it had left for duty with NATO forty-one years earlier.