Nonstop flight route between Burlington / Mount Vernon, Washington, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Skagit Regional Airport (MVW), Burlington / Mount Vernon, Washington, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,708 miles (or 4,358 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 Skagit Regional 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 Skagit Regional 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 Skagit Regional Airport (MVW):

• Because of Skagit Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 144 feet, planes can take off or land at Skagit Regional 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 Skagit Regional Airport (MVW) is Anacortes Airport (OTS), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) W of MVW.
• In addition to being known as "Skagit Regional Airport", another name for MVW is "BVS".
• Skagit Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles west of the central business district of Burlington and northwest of Mount Vernon, both cities in Skagit County, Washington, United States.
• The furthest airport from Skagit Regional Airport (MVW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,718 miles (17,249 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Skagit Regional Airport (MVW) has 2 runways.
• In the 1980s, Harbor Airlines operated commercial passenger flights into and out of MVW to Seattle-Tacoma International and to Oak Harbor, WA, using Britten-Norman Islander aircraft.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.