Nonstop flight route between Kashgar, Xinjiang, China and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kashgar Airport (KHG), Kashgar, Xinjiang, China and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,411 miles (or 7,100 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 Kashgar 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 Kashgar 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 Kashgar Airport (KHG):

• Because of Kashgar Airport's high elevation of 4,529 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at KHG. Combined with a high temperature, this could make KHG a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Kashgar Airport (KHG) is Osh International Airport (OSS), which is located 186 miles (299 kilometers) WNW of KHG.
• In addition to being known as "Kashgar Airport", other names for KHG include "喀什机场" and "Kāshí Jīchǎng".
• The furthest airport from Kashgar Airport (KHG) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,526 miles (18,550 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Kashgar Airport (KHG) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• 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.
• 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 "  ".
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• On 1 April 1995, Eareckson AS was converted to contractor operations and maintenance, providing all support on the island.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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.