Nonstop flight route between Liepāja, Latvia and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Liepāja International Airport (LPX), Liepāja, Latvia and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,736 miles (or 7,622 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 Liepāja International 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 Liepāja International 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 Liepāja International Airport (LPX):

• Liepāja International Airport (LPX) currently has only 1 runway.
• Liepāja International Airport is a regional airport in western Latvia which is certified for international air traffic.
• The closest airport to Liepāja International Airport (LPX) is Palanga Airport (PLQ), which is located 38 miles (61 kilometers) S of LPX.
• Early during the Cold War, the airfield was a Soviet Anti-Air Defense base.
• The furthest airport from Liepāja International Airport (LPX) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,271 miles (18,139 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Liepāja International Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Liepāja 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.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• 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.