Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Middle Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SSC to MDS:
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- About this route
- SSC Airport Information
- MDS Airport Information
- Facts about SSC
- Facts about MDS
- Map of Nearest Airports to SSC
- List of Nearest Airports to SSC
- Map of Furthest Airports from SSC
- List of Furthest Airports from SSC
- Map of Nearest Airports to MDS
- List of Nearest Airports to MDS
- Map of Furthest Airports from MDS
- List of Furthest Airports from MDS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Middle Caicos Airport (MDS), Middle Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 991 miles (or 1,595 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 relatively short distance between Shaw Air Force Base and Middle Caicos Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SSC / KSSC |
Airport Name: | Shaw Air Force Base |
Location: | Sumter, South Carolina, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°58'23"N by 80°28'22"W |
View all routes: | Routes from SSC |
More Information: | SSC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MDS / MBMC |
Airport Name: | Middle Caicos Airport |
Location: | Middle Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands |
GPS Coordinates: | 21°49'32"N by 71°48'8"W |
Area Served: | Middle Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 9 feet (3 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MDS |
More Information: | MDS Maps & Info |
Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
- On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
- As a result of the end of the Cold War, the Air Force made several dramatic changes with the inactivation and re-designation of wings and their units.
Facts about Middle Caicos Airport (MDS):
- The closest airport to Middle Caicos Airport (MDS) is North Caicos Airport (NCA), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) NW of MDS.
- The furthest airport from Middle Caicos Airport (MDS) is RAAF Learmonth (LEA), which is nearly antipodal to Middle Caicos Airport (meaning Middle Caicos Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAAF Learmonth), and is located 12,058 miles (19,406 kilometers) away in Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Middle Caicos Airport's relatively low elevation of 9 feet, planes can take off or land at Middle Caicos 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.
- Middle Caicos Airport (MDS) currently has only 1 runway.