Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Atoifi, Malaita, Solomon Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Uru Harbour Airport (ATD), Atoifi, Malaita, Solomon Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,188 miles (or 13,178 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 Uru Harbour 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 Uru Harbour 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):

• 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 closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• The 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp.
• 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.
• After the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military branch in September 1947, Shaw Army Airfield was renamed Shaw Air Force Base, on 13 January 1948 and the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing was activated on 15 August 1947 with the implementation of the Hobson Plan.

Facts about Uru Harbour Airport (ATD):

• The furthest airport from Uru Harbour Airport (ATD) is Bubaque Airport (BQE), which is nearly antipodal to Uru Harbour Airport (meaning Uru Harbour Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Bubaque Airport), and is located 12,165 miles (19,577 kilometers) away in Bubaque, Guinea-Bissau.
• The closest airport to Uru Harbour Airport (ATD) is Afutara Airport (AFT), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) S of ATD.
• Uru Harbour Airport (ATD) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Uru Harbour Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at Uru Harbour 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.