Nonstop flight route between Sweetwater, Texas, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SWW to SYA:
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- About this route
- SWW Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about SWW
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to SWW
- List of Nearest Airports to SWW
- Map of Furthest Airports from SWW
- List of Furthest Airports from SWW
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Avenger Field (SWW), Sweetwater, Texas, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,291 miles (or 6,905 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 Avenger Field 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 Avenger Field and Eareckson Air Station. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SWW / KSWW |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Sweetwater, Texas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°28'1"N by 100°27'59"W |
Area Served: | Sweetwater, Texas |
Operator/Owner: | City of Sweetwater |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 2380 feet (725 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SWW |
More Information: | SWW Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Facts about Avenger Field (SWW):
- The closest airport to Avenger Field (SWW) is Dyess Air Force Base (DYS), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) E of SWW.
- In addition to being known as "Avenger Field", another name for SWW is "(former Avenger Army Airfield)".
- The United States Air Force Air Defense Command exercised a right of return to Avenger Field in 1955 when Sweetwater Air Force Station was established as a USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Station.
- Avenger Field was the largest all-female air base in American history.
- In the year ending February 6, 2012 the airport had 4,500 general aviation aircraft operations, average 12 per day.
- Avenger Field (SWW) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Avenger Field (SWW) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,107 miles (17,874 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- 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.
- 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 " ".
- Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
- On 27 January 1992 the 5073rd Air Base Group located at Shemya AFB was re-designated as the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force 673d Air Base Group.
- 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.
- The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
- There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.