Nonstop flight route between Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL), Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,836 miles (or 15,830 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 Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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 Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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 Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL):

• The furthest airport from Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) is Chita Kadala (HTA), which is nearly antipodal to Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (meaning Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chita Kadala), and is located 12,321 miles (19,829 kilometers) away in Chita, Russia.
• Because of Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport's relatively low elevation of 66 feet, planes can take off or land at Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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.
• The closest airport to Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) is Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) SSW of RGL.
• In addition to being known as "Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport", another name for RGL is "Aeropuerto de Rio Gallegos "Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández"".
• Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In August 1988, at least one Aries rocket was launched, relating to the Queen Match program, for anti-ballistic missile testing.
• 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.
• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".