Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Trapani, Italy:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi (TPS), Trapani, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,973 miles (or 8,003 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 Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi, 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 Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi. 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 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.
• 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.
• On March 23, 1953, the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated at Shaw.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• In addition to the 363d TRW, Headquarters Ninth Air Force was transferred to Shaw from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina on 1 September 1954.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
• Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately 8.4 miles west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.

Facts about Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi (TPS):

• Because of Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi's relatively low elevation of 25 feet, planes can take off or land at Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi 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 Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi (TPS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,817 miles (19,018 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi", another name for TPS is "Aeroporto Vincenzo Florio di Trapani-Birgi".
• Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi, also known simply as Trapani Airport, is an airport serving Trapani, Italy.
• The closest airport to Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi (TPS) is Falcone–Borsellino Airport (PMO), which is located 38 miles (61 kilometers) ENE of TPS.
• Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi (TPS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport gained international attention during Operation Unified Protector in 2011 when NATO aircraft were based there during military intervention in the Libyan civil war.
• Vincenzo Florio Airport Trapani-Birgi handled 1,878,557 passengers last year.