Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Sanga-Sanga Airport (TWT), Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,435 miles (or 15,184 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 Sanga-Sanga 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 Sanga-Sanga 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):

• 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.
• Shaw Air Force Base is named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• The 432nd's mission at Shaw AFB was to assume the reconnaissance training mission that was handled previously by the 363d TRW.
• In October 1942, the flight training was changed to Advanced flying training and AT-6 Texan single-engine and Beech AT-10 twin-engine trainers were used.

Facts about Sanga-Sanga Airport (TWT):

• The new runway was inaugurated on August 17, 2009 by Ambassador Kristie Kenney and local officials.
• Sanga-Sanga Airport handled 8,663 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Sanga-Sanga Airport (TWT) is Semporna Airport (SMM), which is located 89 miles (143 kilometers) WSW of TWT.
• The furthest airport from Sanga-Sanga Airport (TWT) is Ponta Pelada Airport (PLL), which is nearly antipodal to Sanga-Sanga Airport (meaning Sanga-Sanga Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ponta Pelada Airport), and is located 12,304 miles (19,802 kilometers) away in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
• In addition to being known as "Sanga-Sanga Airport", another name for TWT is "Paliparan ng Sanga-Sanga".
• Sanga-Sanga Airport (TWT) currently has only 1 runway.
• Currently, the airport runway is being extended to 1,930 meters through partnerships between the DOTC, the CAAP, the United States Agency for International Development, the regional government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Tawi-Tawi provincial government.
• Because of Sanga-Sanga Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Sanga-Sanga 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.