Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Bakalalan, Sarawak, Malaysia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Ba'kelalan Airport (BKM), Bakalalan, Sarawak, Malaysia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,612 miles (or 15,469 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 Ba'kelalan 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 Ba'kelalan 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):

• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• The 20th FG was reassigned to Langley AFB, Virginia on 1 December 1951 in preparation for a permanent overseas deployment to RAF Wethersfield, England to support NATO.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• Shaw Air Force Base is named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw.
• The squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities.
• 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.
• 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.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.

Facts about Ba'kelalan Airport (BKM):

• In addition to being known as "Ba'kelalan Airport", other names for BKM include "Lapangan Terbang Bakelalan" and "BKM[1]".
• The closest airport to Ba'kelalan Airport (BKM) is Juvai Semaring Airport (LBW), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) SSE of BKM.
• Ba'kelalan Airport (BKM) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Ba'kelalan Airport (BKM) is Tefé Airport (TFF), which is nearly antipodal to Ba'kelalan Airport (meaning Ba'kelalan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tefé Airport), and is located 12,389 miles (19,937 kilometers) away in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil.