Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Nakashibetsu, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB), Nakashibetsu, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,363 miles (or 10,239 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 Nakashibetsu 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 Nakashibetsu 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 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• 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.
• 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.
• As a result of the August 1992 destruction of Homestead AFB Florida by Hurricane Andrew in September 1992, the 31st Fighter Wing's 309th Fighter Squadron was initially evacuated to Shaw AFB prior to the hurricane making landfall.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.

Facts about Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB):

• The furthest airport from Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is located 11,246 miles (18,099 kilometers) away in Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom.
• Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Nakashibetsu Airport was constructed as an Imperial Japanese Navy airfield in 1944.
• In addition to being known as "Nakashibetsu Airport", another name for SHB is "中標津空港".
• Because of Nakashibetsu Airport's relatively low elevation of 214 feet, planes can take off or land at Nakashibetsu 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 closest airport to Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB) is Memanbetsu Airport (MMB), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) WNW of SHB.