Nonstop flight route between Salamanca, Spain and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM), Salamanca, Spain and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,965 miles (or 9,600 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 large distance between Salamanca-Matacán 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 Salamanca-Matacán 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 Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM):

• Salamanca-Matacán Airport handled 15,830 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Salamanca-Matacán Airport", another name for SLM is "Aeropuerto de Salamanca-Matacán".
• Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM) is Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ), which is nearly antipodal to Salamanca-Matacán Airport (meaning Salamanca-Matacán Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kapiti Coast Airport), and is located 12,411 miles (19,973 kilometers) away in Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM) is Valladolid International Airport (VLL), which is located 62 miles (100 kilometers) NNE of SLM.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (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.
• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• The base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• 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 closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.