Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Fontvieille, Monaco:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Monaco Heliport (MCM), Fontvieille, Monaco would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,553 miles (or 7,328 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 Monaco Heliport, 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 Monaco Heliport. 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.
• On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
• The 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• 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 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 Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately 8.4 miles west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina.
• Over the next four decades, the squadrons under the 363d TRW changed frequently.
• It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is one of only two air bases in CONUS with an active railroad line.
• Following Desert Storm, the 19th and 33d Tactical Fighter Squadrons deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, a coalition effort to enforce the Iraqi "No Fly Zone" south of the 32nd parallel north.
• 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.

Facts about Monaco Heliport (MCM):

• The furthest airport from Monaco Heliport (MCM) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Monaco Heliport (meaning Monaco Heliport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,243 miles (19,704 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Monaco Heliport (MCM) is Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) WSW of MCM.
• Because of Monaco Heliport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Monaco Heliport 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 "Monaco Heliport", another name for MCM is "Héliport de Monaco".
• The heliport has been expanded to 8 pads since its opening in 1987, with pads A and B jutted out over the sea.
• Shuttle buses provide connections to and from the heliport with major hotels and many other locations within Monaco.
• The heliport is located directly on the Mediterranean coastline in the vicinity of the Stade Louis II, and the Chapiteau.