Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Concord, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR), Concord, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,147 miles (or 5,065 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base, 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base. 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):

• 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.
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• 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 "  ".
• 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 aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.

Facts about Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR):

• Buchanan Field covers 495 acres at an elevation of 26 feet above mean sea level.
• For decades, it was common for jets to fly over residential areas.
• Because of Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base 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.
• On December 21, 2006, at about 1900 Zulu, a Piper Malibu crashed while flying the LDA approach into CCR.
• Commuter airline flights to San Francisco International Airport with small prop aircraft started in 1969, but were gone by 1980.
• The furthest airport from Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,334 miles (18,241 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) is Napa County Airport (APC), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) NW of CCR.
• The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a reliever airport.
• Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) has 4 runways.