Nonstop flight route between Sarasota, Florida (near Bradenton), United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Sarasota, Florida (near Bradenton), United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,251 miles (or 8,450 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 Sarasota–Bradenton 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 Sarasota–Bradenton 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 Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ):

• In September 2005 Delta Air Lines, the carrier with the largest market share out of SRQ, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) has 2 runways.
• Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport has a main terminal with gates B1–B14.
• SRQ's first airline was National, in 1947.
• In January 2012 AirTran Airways announced that it would drop SRQ on August 12, 2012 as part of its merger with Southwest.
• The furthest airport from Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,436 miles (18,404 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport's relatively low elevation of 30 feet, planes can take off or land at Sarasota–Bradenton 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.
• During the years before and after World War II, SRQ was known by its two-character designation, RS.
• The closest airport to Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is Venice Municipal Airport (VNC), which is located 23 miles (38 kilometers) SSE of SRQ.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• Eareckson Air Station is located on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian islands near the larger island of Attu, and is located approximately 1500 miles southwest of Anchorage.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• 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.
• Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.