Nonstop flight route between Rourkela, India and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rourkela Airport (RRK), Rourkela, India and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,978 miles (or 8,011 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 Rourkela 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 Rourkela 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 Rourkela Airport (RRK):

• The furthest airport from Rourkela Airport (RRK) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,482 miles (18,478 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• In 1961, this airport was taken by the Airports Authority of India.
• Rourkela Airport is a private airport located near Chhend Colony, 6 kilometres west of the steel city of Rourkela in the state of Odisha.
• Because of Rourkela Airport's relatively low elevation of 656 feet, planes can take off or land at Rourkela 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 being known as "Rourkela Airport", other names for RRK include "राउरकेला हवाई अड्डे" and "Rā'urakēlā havā'ī aḍḍē".
• The closest airport to Rourkela Airport (RRK) is Birsa Munda Airport (IXR), which is located 80 miles (129 kilometers) NNE of RRK.
• Rourkela Airport (RRK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airstrip was constructed by the Tata Iron and Steel Company in 1950s for the purpose of carrying officials of the company, who regularly visited the area to survey and supervise the transportation of dolomite and other minerals from the district of Sundargarh for their industry.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• 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.
• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• 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.
• 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.
• The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
• 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.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.