Nonstop flight route between Shirahama, Japan and Norfolk, Virginia, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Nanki-Shirahama Airport (SHM), Shirahama, Japan and Naval Station Norfolk (NGU), Norfolk, Virginia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,149 miles (or 11,505 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 Nanki-Shirahama Airport and Naval Station Norfolk, 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 Nanki-Shirahama Airport and Naval Station Norfolk. 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 Nanki-Shirahama Airport (SHM):

• In addition to being known as "Nanki-Shirahama Airport", other names for SHM include "南紀白浜空港" and "Nanki Shirahama Kūkō".
• The closest airport to Nanki-Shirahama Airport (SHM) is Kansai International Airport (KIX), which is located 54 miles (87 kilometers) N of SHM.
• Because of Nanki-Shirahama Airport's relatively low elevation of 293 feet, planes can take off or land at Nanki-Shirahama 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.
• Nanki-Shirahama Airport (SHM) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Nanki-Shirahama Airport (SHM) is Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (CCM), which is located 11,994 miles (19,302 kilometers) away in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Facts about Naval Station Norfolk (NGU):

• Lighter-than-air operations, important for off-shore patrols during the war, ceased in 1924.
• The furthest airport from Naval Station Norfolk (NGU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,762 miles (18,929 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The expansion of shipboard aviation in the 1930s brought renewed emphasis to Naval Air Station Norfolk.
• The closest airport to Naval Station Norfolk (NGU) is Norfolk International Airport (ORF), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ESE of NGU.
• Naval Station Norfolk (NGU) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Naval Station Norfolk", another name for NGU is "Chambers Field".
• Construction of the training camp began on Independence Day 1917, and within the first 30 days housing for 7,500 men had been completed.
• In July 1940, the Federal government began dredging Willoughby Bay and the Naval Air Station seaplane operating area at Breezy Point, Virginia was constructed from reclaimed marshlands at the mouth of Mason Creek, Virginia.
• In 1940, the naval aircraft program passed Congress with a production goal of 10,000 new planes later increased 15,000.
• Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean.
• The last permanent structure added had been the administration building, constructed in 1930.