Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport (HSN), Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,777 miles (or 12,515 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 Zhoushan Putuoshan 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 Zhoushan Putuoshan 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):

• With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina and the inactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing, the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Republic A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the inactivating 355th Fighter Squadron on 1 April 1992.
• 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.
• The group initially conducted training with two squadrons flying the Republic RF-84F "Thunderflash" and two squadrons Group, was a part of Strategic Air Command from July 1947 – May 1951, at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana as an Air Force Reserve corollary unit under the guidance of active duty units in order to train and maintain currency in reconnaissance operations for its reserve personnel.
• For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp.
• 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 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• 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.

Facts about Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport (HSN):

• In addition to being known as "Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport", other names for HSN include "舟山普陀山机场" and "Zhōushān Pǔtuóshān Jīchǎng".
• The closest airport to Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport (HSN) is Ningbo Lishe International Airport (NGB), which is located 54 miles (88 kilometers) W of HSN.
• The furthest airport from Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport (HSN) is Monte Caseros Airport (MCS), which is nearly antipodal to Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport (meaning Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Monte Caseros Airport), and is located 12,413 miles (19,977 kilometers) away in Monte Caseros, Corrientes, Argentina.
• Considering the land had to be built up 9 meters, even with the trapezium shaped cross section, approximately 5,500,000 cubic meters of fill had to be quarried, transported and placed by local labor.
• Across the entire site which was about 3,200m x 400m, a matrix of 150mm perforated iron pipes at 10m centers in both directions was installed vertically, in a manner that allowed the Chinese to pour water and sand down the pipes to help with the compacting.