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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Kokura Airport (KKJ), Kita Kyūshū, Kyūshū, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,328 miles (or 11,794 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 Kokura 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 Kokura 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 closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• The squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities.
• As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew in September 1992, the 31st Fighter Wing's 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall.
• On March 23, 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw.
• 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.

Facts about Kokura Airport (KKJ):

• Kokura Airport (KKJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Kokura Airport (KKJ) is Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) ENE of KKJ.
• Because of Kokura Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Kokura 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.
• In addition to being known as "Kokura Airport", other names for KKJ include "小倉空港" and "Kokura Kūkō".
• The furthest airport from Kokura Airport (KKJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is nearly antipodal to Kokura Airport (meaning Kokura Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Rio Grande Regional Airport), and is located 12,220 miles (19,665 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.