Nonstop flight route between Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Zahedan, Iran:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States and Zahedan Airport (ZAH), Zahedan, Iran would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,379 miles (or 11,876 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 Zahedan 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 Zahedan 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):

• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• 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.
• 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.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• Shaw AFB is home base of the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.
• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.
• 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 Zahedan Airport (ZAH):

• Zahedan Airport (ZAH) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Zahedan Airport (ZAH) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,827 miles (19,034 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• The closest airport to Zahedan Airport (ZAH) is Zaranj Airport (ZAJ), which is located 118 miles (190 kilometers) NNE of ZAH.
• Because of Zahedan Airport's high elevation of 4,564 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ZAH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ZAH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.