Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Afton, Wyoming, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Afton Municipal Airport (AFO), Afton, Wyoming, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,390 miles (or 5,455 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 Eareckson Air Station and Afton Municipal 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 Eareckson Air Station and Afton Municipal 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 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
• 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.
• After the disastrous attack, the focus of Eleventh Air Force was shifted to a defensive posture in the event of retaliatory attacks from the Japanese.
• 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 aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
• 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.
• In 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.

Facts about Afton Municipal Airport (AFO):

• Afton Municipal Airport is a town-owned, public-use airport located one nautical mile southwest of the central business district of Afton, a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States.
• Because of Afton Municipal Airport's high elevation of 6,221 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at AFO. Combined with a high temperature, this could make AFO a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Afton Municipal Airport (AFO) is Miley Memorial Field (BPI), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) E of AFO.
• Afton Municipal Airport (AFO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport covers an area of 282 acres at an elevation of 6,221 feet above mean sea level.
• The furthest airport from Afton Municipal Airport (AFO) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,817 miles (17,408 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Afton Municipal Airport", another name for AFO is "Afton-Lincoln County Airport".