Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Punta Arenas, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ), Punta Arenas, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,037 miles (or 9,716 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International 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):

• 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 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force.
• 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 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.
• The 20th Fighter Group was first equipped with North American P-51D, then exchanged its P-51's in February 1948 for F-84B Thunderjets, the first TAC group to receive operational F-84s.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
• The 363d TFW received its first F-16 on 26 March 1982.

Facts about Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ):

• In addition to being known as "Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport", another name for PUQ is "Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibáñez".
• The closest airport to Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) NW of PUQ.
• Because of Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport's relatively low elevation of 139 feet, planes can take off or land at Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International 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.
• Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is Baikal International Airport (UUD), which is nearly antipodal to Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (meaning Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Baikal International Airport), and is located 12,327 miles (19,839 kilometers) away in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.