Nonstop flight route between Miyakojima, Okinawa, Japan and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Miyako Airport (MMY), Miyakojima, Okinawa, Japan and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,039 miles (or 12,937 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 Miyako Airport 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 Miyako Airport 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 Miyako Airport (MMY):

• Because of Miyako Airport's relatively low elevation of 140 feet, planes can take off or land at Miyako 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.
• The closest airport to Miyako Airport (MMY) is Shimojishima Airport (SHI), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) WNW of MMY.
• Miyako Airport (MMY) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Miyako Airport", other names for MMY include "宮古空港" and "Miyako Kūkō".
• The furthest airport from Miyako Airport (MMY) is Guaraní International Airport (AGT), which is nearly antipodal to Miyako Airport (meaning Miyako Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Guaraní International Airport), and is located 12,390 miles (19,939 kilometers) away in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.

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.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• 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.