Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Fuzhou, Fujian, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC), Fuzhou, Fujian, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,092 miles (or 13,023 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 Fuzhou Changle 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 Fuzhou Changle 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):

• 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.
• In addition to the 363d TRW, Headquarters Ninth Air Force was transferred to Shaw from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina on 1 September 1954.
• 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.
• For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp.
• Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee BT-13 Valiants.
• 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.
• 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 Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.

Facts about Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC):

• Because of Fuzhou Changle International Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Fuzhou Changle International 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.
• Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) currently has only 1 runway.
• Fuzhou Changle International Airport handled 6,476,773 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) is Nangan Airport (LZN), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) NE of FOC.
• The furthest airport from Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) is Resistencia International Airport (RES), which is nearly antipodal to Fuzhou Changle International Airport (meaning Fuzhou Changle International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Resistencia International Airport), and is located 12,306 miles (19,804 kilometers) away in Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina.
• In addition to being known as "Fuzhou Changle International Airport", other names for FOC include "福州长乐国际机场" and "Fúzhōu Chánglè Guójì Jīchǎng".
• The airport is located near the shore of the Taiwan Strait in Zhanggang Subdistrict, Changle, about 50 km east of Fuzhou's city center.