Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Talkeetna, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Talkeetna Airport (TKA), Talkeetna, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,525 miles (or 5,674 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 Talkeetna 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 Talkeetna 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):

• Flying activities at the field began on 22 October 1941 using Vultee BT-13 Valiants.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• 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 66th TRW was formed at Shaw from the RB-26 assets of the 18th TRS and RF-80s transferred from South Korea.
• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.

Facts about Talkeetna Airport (TKA):

• Because of Talkeetna Airport's relatively low elevation of 358 feet, planes can take off or land at Talkeetna 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.
• Talkeetna Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile east of the central business district of Talkeetna, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough of the U.S.
• Talkeetna Airport covers an area of 624 acres at an elevation of 358 feet above mean sea level.
• The airport is home to at least seven air taxi operations, and is very busy during tourist season because of its proximity to Mount McKinley.
• The closest airport to Talkeetna Airport (TKA) is Willow Airport (WOW), which is located 39 miles (63 kilometers) S of TKA.
• The furthest airport from Talkeetna Airport (TKA) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,470 miles (16,850 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
• Talkeetna Airport (TKA) currently has only 1 runway.