Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Malatya, Turkey:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX), Malatya, Turkey would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,073 miles (or 9,773 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 Malatya Erhaç 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 Malatya Erhaç 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 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 closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• On March 23, 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
• 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.
• 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 Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX):

• The closest airport to Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX) is Adıyaman Airport (ADF), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) SSE of MLX.
• On June 22, 2012, the Turkish Air Force reported that a RF-4E Phantom reconnaissance jet operating from Erhaç went missing over the Mediterranean sea near Syria, with witnesses in the Syrian town of Latakia reporting an aircraft had been shot down by Syrian air defenses.
• Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Malatya Erhaç Airport (MLX) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,298 miles (18,182 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Malatya Erhaç Airport", another name for MLX is "Malatya Erhaç Havaalanı".