Nonstop flight route between Hailey, Idaho, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN), Hailey, Idaho, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,223 miles (or 5,187 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 Friedman Memorial Airport and Eareckson Air Station, 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 Friedman Memorial Airport and Eareckson Air Station. 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 Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN):

• Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 10,794 miles (17,372 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The closest airport to Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) is Challis Airport (CHL), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) N of SUN.
• In the 1970s, the airport was served by Sun Valley Airlines using de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, Convair 440, Piper Navajo and other propeller-driven aircraft.
• The Friedman family donated much of the land for the airport to the city of Hailey in 1931 and the airport was officially recognized in 1932.
• Because of Friedman Memorial Airport's high elevation of 5,318 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SUN. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SUN a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• In 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.
• The aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• Because of Eareckson Air Station's relatively low elevation of 97 feet, planes can take off or land at Eareckson Air Station 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• The closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,668 miles (17,168 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.