Nonstop flight route between Catania, Italy and St. Petersburg, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY), Catania, Italy and Albert Whitted Airport (SPG), St. Petersburg, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,459 miles (or 8,786 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 Naval Air Station Sigonella and Albert Whitted Airport, 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 Naval Air Station Sigonella and Albert Whitted Airport. 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 Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY):

• Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) has 2 runways.
• When there was no room for expansion at Malta, the U.S.
• It also serves as an Italian base for the 41º Stormo Antisom.
• In addition to being known as "Naval Air Station Sigonella", other names for NSY include "Base aerea di Sigonella" and "NAS Sigonella".
• On the night of 10 October 1985, there were tense hours on NAS II when the Italian Carabinieri, Italian Air Force, and the US Army's Delta Force came close to firing upon one another following the interception by Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters of an Egyptian Boeing 737 airliner carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, which had been commandeered by members of the PLO on 7 October.
• In the 1980s, Naval Air Facility Sigonella was redesignated as a Naval Air Station.
• Most permanent party military personnel and families are housed in Marinai, located 2 minutes from NAS II and approximately 10–15 minutes from NAS I.
• One of Sigonella's first buildings was what is now the American Forces Network building.
• The furthest airport from Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,695 miles (18,821 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Naval Air Station Sigonella (NSY) is Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) ENE of NSY.
• Because of Naval Air Station Sigonella's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Naval Air Station Sigonella 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 Albert Whitted Airport (SPG):

• The closest airport to Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) is MacDill Air Force Base (MCF), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) NE of SPG.
• The airport is named for Lieutenant James Albert Whitted, USNR, a St.
• Albert Whitted Airport is a city-owned public-use airport in St.
• A local group, Citizens for a Waterfront Park, collected signatures and placed a question on the 2003 city ballot that would have closed Albert Whitted and turned it into a city park.
• In October 2007, the City completed construction on a $4,000,000-10,600 sq/ft terminal building.
• The furthest airport from Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,430 miles (18,395 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Albert Whitted Airport's relatively low elevation of 7 feet, planes can take off or land at Albert Whitted 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.
• In addition to Coast Guard flight operations, during World War II, Albert Whitted Airport was converted to military use as a primary flight training base for student Naval Aviators for the U.S.
• Based on the 2005 Airport Master Plan commissioned by the City of St.
• During the first years of World War II, aircraft at CGAS St.
• Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) has 2 runways.