Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Iejima, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Iejima Airport (IEJ), Iejima, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,853 miles (or 12,637 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 Iejima 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 Iejima 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 1 April 1951, the 363d TRW was transferred to Shaw from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing would remain at Shaw, under various designations, for the next 43 years.
• On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
• 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 closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.

Facts about Iejima Airport (IEJ):

• Because of Iejima Airport's relatively low elevation of 238 feet, planes can take off or land at Iejima 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.
• The furthest airport from Iejima Airport (IEJ) is Olavo Cecco Rigon Airport (CCI), which is nearly antipodal to Iejima Airport (meaning Iejima Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Olavo Cecco Rigon Airport), and is located 12,404 miles (19,962 kilometers) away in Concórdia, Amazonas, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Iejima Airport (IEJ) is Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) S of IEJ.
• Iejima Airport (IEJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Iejima Airport", another name for IEJ is "伊江島空港".