Nonstop flight route between Semey, Kazakhstan and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Semipalatinsk Airport (PLX), Semey, Kazakhstan and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,492 miles (or 10,449 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 Semipalatinsk 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 Semipalatinsk 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 Semipalatinsk Airport (PLX):

• In addition to being known as "Semipalatinsk Airport", another name for PLX is "Semey Airport".
• Semipalatinsk Airport (PLX) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Semipalatinsk Airport's relatively low elevation of 761 feet, planes can take off or land at Semipalatinsk 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 furthest airport from Semipalatinsk Airport (PLX) is Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), which is located 11,256 miles (18,115 kilometers) away in Puerto Natales, Chile.
• The closest airport to Semipalatinsk Airport (PLX) is Oskemen Airport (UKK), which is located 102 miles (165 kilometers) ESE of PLX.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• The 20th FG was reassigned to Langley AFB, Virginia on 1 December 1951 in preparation for a permanent overseas deployment to RAF Wethersfield, England to support NATO.
• 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.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately 8.4 miles west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina.
• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• Jurisdiction of Shaw was again transferred to Tactical Air Command on 23 March 1946.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.