Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Coimbra, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Coimbra Airport (CBP), Coimbra, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,884 miles (or 6,250 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 Coimbra 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 Coimbra 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 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.
• 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 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.
• 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.
• Upon activation at Shaw, the 20th FW assumed the personnel and equipment of the inactivated 363d Fighter Wing.
• Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee BT-13 Valiants.
• On 25 June 1953, the 66th TRW departed Shaw, being reassigned to Sembach Air Base, West Germany.
• 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 Coimbra Airport (CBP):

• The furthest airport from Coimbra Airport (CBP) is Takaka Aerodrome (KTF), which is nearly antipodal to Coimbra Airport (meaning Coimbra Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Takaka Aerodrome), and is located 12,352 miles (19,879 kilometers) away in Takaka, New Zealand.
• Coimbra Airport (CBP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Coimbra Airport (CBP) is Covilhã Airport (COV), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) E of CBP.
• In addition to being known as "Coimbra Airport", another name for CBP is "Aeródromo Municipal Bissaya Barreto".
• Because of Coimbra Airport's relatively low elevation of 571 feet, planes can take off or land at Coimbra 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.