Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Kufra, Libya:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Kufra Airport (AKF), Kufra, Libya would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,026 miles (or 9,698 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 Shaw Air Force Base and Kufra Airport, 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 Shaw Air Force Base and Kufra Airport. 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 Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• In October 1942, the flight training was changed to Advanced flying training and AT-6 Texan single-engine and Beech AT-10 twin-engine trainers were used.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.
• On 9 August 1990, the 17th and 33d TFS of 363d TFW became the first F-16 squadrons to deploy to the United Arab Emirates in Operation Desert Shield.
• The 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• On 1 April 1951, the 363d TRW was transferred to Shaw from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing would remain at Shaw, under various designations, for the next 43 years.
• The furthest airport from Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,545 miles (18,580 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The 20th Fighter Group was first equipped with North American P-51D, then exchanged its P-51's in February 1948 for F-84B Thunderjets, the first TAC group to receive operational F-84s.
• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.

Facts about Kufra Airport (AKF):

• In addition to being known as "Kufra Airport", another name for AKF is "مطار الكفرة".
• On 26 August 2008, a hijacked Sudanese Boeing 737 landed at Kufra Airport after having departed at Nyala Airport, Darfur, with destination Khartoum.
• The furthest airport from Kufra Airport (AKF) is Mangaia Island Airport (MGS), which is nearly antipodal to Kufra Airport (meaning Kufra Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mangaia Island Airport), and is located 12,261 miles (19,732 kilometers) away in Mangaia Island, Cook Islands.
• Kufra Airport (AKF) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Kufra Airport (AKF) is Sharq Al-Owainat Airport (GSQ), which is located 360 miles (580 kilometers) ESE of AKF.
• In July 2013 Libyan Airlines re-launched the Benghasi service that was suspended nine years earlier.