Nonstop flight route between McAllen, Texas, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE), McAllen, Texas, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,704 miles (or 7,570 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 McAllen Miller 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 McAllen Miller 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 McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE):

• MFE is the busiest commercial passenger airport in the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan area.
• McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) has 2 runways.
• In 2008, a terminal capacity study was conducted to assess the future needs of the airport and possible terminal expansion to include eight gates, larger ticketing/office area, TSA security area queue.
• Because of McAllen Miller International Airport's relatively low elevation of 107 feet, planes can take off or land at McAllen Miller 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.
• McAllen Miller International Airport is a city owned, public use airport located two nautical miles south of the central business district of McAllen, a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States.
• The furthest airport from McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,187 miles (18,003 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) is General Lucio Blanco International Airport (REX), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) S of MFE.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (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 closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
• In July 1973, Raytheon won a contract to build a system called COBRA DANE on Shemya.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Eareckson Air Station is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.