Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Jackson, Tennessee, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL), Jackson, Tennessee, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 492 miles (or 792 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 McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

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.
• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• 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 March 23, 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw.
• 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.
• The 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• 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.
• On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
• 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 McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL):

• Major Sipes was killed in action during the Vietnam War but he was killed when his F-101 Voodoo crashed after takeoff from RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England.
• Because of McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 434 feet, planes can take off or land at McKellar-Sipes Regional 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 McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,072 miles (17,819 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) is Roscoe Turner Airport (CRX), which is located 50 miles (81 kilometers) SSE of MKL.
• McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) has 2 runways.
• The airport opened in 1942 as McKellar Field and was assigned to the United States Army Air Forces Southeast Training Center as a primary pilot training airfield.