Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Andenes, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Andøya Airport, Andenes (ANX), Andenes, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,934 miles (or 6,331 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 Andøya Airport, Andenes, 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 Andøya Airport, Andenes. 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 station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.

Facts about Andøya Airport, Andenes (ANX):

• Andøya Airport, Andenes (ANX) currently has only 1 runway.
• It soon proved difficult to provide sufficient patronage to keep operations profitable.
• Andøya Airport, Andenes handled 48,254 passengers last year.
• All four people on board were killed when a private Cessna 172 crashed west of the airport just after take-off on 31 July 1988.
• Andøya Air Station was built with North Atlantic Treaty Organization funds as a combined Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic project as a base for maritime surveillance.
• The closest airport to Andøya Airport, Andenes (ANX) is Stokmarknes Airport, Skagen (SKN), which is located 56 miles (91 kilometers) SSW of ANX.
• In addition to being known as "Andøya Airport, Andenes", another name for ANX is "Andøya lufthavn, Andenes".
• The airport is located at an elevation of 13 meters.
• Because of Andøya Airport, Andenes's relatively low elevation of 43 feet, planes can take off or land at Andøya Airport, Andenes 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 furthest airport from Andøya Airport, Andenes (ANX) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,620 miles (17,092 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.