Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Alert, Nunavut, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Alert Airport (YLT), Alert, Nunavut, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,383 miles (or 5,444 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 Alert 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 Alert 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 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.
• With the closure of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base South Carolina and the inactivation of the 354th Fighter Wing, the 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at Shaw and received 30 Republic A/OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the inactivating 355th Fighter Squadron on 1 April 1992.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• 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.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.

Facts about Alert Airport (YLT):

• Alert Airport is the world's northernmost permanent airport, located at Alert, Nunavut, Canada, approximately 830 km south of the true North Pole.
• The closest airport to Alert Airport (YLT) is Eureka Aerodrome (YEU), which is located 299 miles (481 kilometers) WSW of YLT.
• Alert Airport (YLT) currently has only 1 runway.
• Radar and navigation equipment are trailer units that can be moved around the airport.
• The furthest airport from Alert Airport (YLT) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 9,999 miles (16,092 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• Because of Alert Airport's relatively low elevation of 100 feet, planes can take off or land at Alert 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.