Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Bamako, Mali:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Bamako Senou International Airport (BKO), Bamako, Mali would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,742 miles (or 7,632 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 Bamako Senou International 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 Bamako Senou International 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):

• The 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• 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 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 Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.

Facts about Bamako Senou International Airport (BKO):

• The furthest airport from Bamako Senou International Airport (BKO) is Mota Lava Airport (MTV), which is nearly antipodal to Bamako Senou International Airport (meaning Bamako Senou International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mota Lava Airport), and is located 12,134 miles (19,528 kilometers) away in Mota Lava, Vanuatu.
• The closest airport to Bamako Senou International Airport (BKO) is Siguiri Airport (GII), which is located 113 miles (181 kilometers) SW of BKO.
• In addition to being known as "Bamako Senou International Airport", another name for BKO is "Aéroport international de Bamako–Sénou".
• Passenger traffic steadily increased in the early 2000s.