Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Mafeteng, Lesotho:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SSC to MFC:
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- About this route
- SSC Airport Information
- MFC Airport Information
- Facts about SSC
- Facts about MFC
- 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 MFC
- List of Nearest Airports to MFC
- Map of Furthest Airports from MFC
- List of Furthest Airports from MFC
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Mafeteng Airport (MFC), Mafeteng, Lesotho would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,276 miles (or 13,319 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 Mafeteng 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 Mafeteng Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
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: | MFC / FXMF |
Airport Name: | Mafeteng Airport |
Location: | Mafeteng, Lesotho |
GPS Coordinates: | 29°48'2"S by 27°14'35"E |
Area Served: | Mafeteng |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5350 feet (1,631 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MFC |
More Information: | MFC Maps & Info |
Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):
- For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp.
- 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.
- Shaw Air Force Base is named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lieutenant Ervin David 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.
- On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
- 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 closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
- In addition to the 363d TRW, Headquarters Ninth Air Force was transferred to Shaw from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina on 1 September 1954.
- 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.
- Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
- 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.
Facts about Mafeteng Airport (MFC):
- The closest airport to Mafeteng Airport (MFC) is Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) NE of MFC.
- Because of Mafeteng Airport's high elevation of 5,350 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MFC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MFC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Mafeteng Airport (MFC) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Mafeteng Airport (MFC) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located 11,788 miles (18,971 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.