Nonstop flight route between Roanoke, Virginia, United States and Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from ROA to YAW:
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- About this route
- ROA Airport Information
- YAW Airport Information
- Facts about ROA
- Facts about YAW
- Map of Nearest Airports to ROA
- List of Nearest Airports to ROA
- Map of Furthest Airports from ROA
- List of Furthest Airports from ROA
- Map of Nearest Airports to YAW
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- Map of Furthest Airports from YAW
- List of Furthest Airports from YAW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), Roanoke, Virginia, United States and Shearwater Heliport (YAW), Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 994 miles (or 1,600 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 relatively short distance between Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport and Shearwater Heliport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | ROA / KROA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Roanoke, Virginia, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°19'32"N by 79°58'32"W |
Area Served: | Roanoke Valley, New River Valley |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1175 feet (358 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from ROA |
More Information: | ROA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | YAW / CYAW |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 44°38'13"N by 63°30'7"W |
Operator/Owner: | Government of Canada |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 144 feet (44 meters) |
View all routes: | Routes from YAW |
More Information: | YAW Maps & Info |
Facts about Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA):
- The current terminal building was designed by the Charlotte based architectural firm of Odell Associates and was built to serve as a replacement for the 1953 terminal, later demolished in 2005.
- Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) has 2 runways.
- In addition to being known as "Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport", another name for ROA is "Woodrum Field".
- The closest airport to Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) is Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport (BCB), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) WSW of ROA.
- When facilities reached their maximum capacity, the need for upgrades became necessary for the airport to continue to grow.
- Roanoke Regional Airport features a pair of runways originally completed in 1942.
- In the period following the Piedmont-USAir merger, Roanoke has seen various carriers enter and exit the local market.
- Landside facilities, or the facilities located outside the TSA security checkpoint, include check-in, car rental, baggage claim and a taxi hire.
- The furthest airport from Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,559 miles (18,603 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Although Roanoke has never had international passenger service, in 2001, the Airport Commission was prepared to change the airport's name to Roanoke International Airport.
Facts about Shearwater Heliport (YAW):
- In addition to being known as "Shearwater Heliport", other names for YAW include "Halifax/Shearwater Heliport", "12 Wing Shearwater" and "CFB Shearwater".
- Because of Shearwater Heliport's relatively low elevation of 144 feet, planes can take off or land at Shearwater Heliport 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.
- These changes allowed for heliport operations including instrument approaches and were accompanied with the construction of other non-airfield facilities in support of the Maritime Helicopter Project.
- By the 1980s this air show came to be named the "Shearwater International Air Show" and was a popular event for military aviation enthusiasts in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States as the location of CFB Shearwater, coupled with the popularity of the Halifax area among military aircrew, resulted in heavy international participation from the RCAF, as well as the USAF, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force and numerous other NATO air forces in Europe.
- Shearwater is the second-oldest military aerodrome in Canada.
- The furthest airport from Shearwater Heliport (YAW) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,763 miles (18,931 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Shearwater Heliport (YAW) is Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) N of YAW.
- The February 1, 1968 unification of the three service branches into the Canadian Forces saw HMCS Shearwater change its name to Canadian Forces Base Shearwater.
- Post-war, 1948, the Royal Canadian Navy took over the facility, naming it HMCS Shearwater, also known as Royal Canadian Naval Air Station Shearwater.