Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Cape Gloucester, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Cape Gloucester Airport (CGC), Cape Gloucester, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,291 miles (or 6,906 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 Cape Gloucester 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 Cape Gloucester 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):

• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• 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.
• 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 limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• 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 "  ".
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
• 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.
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.

Facts about Cape Gloucester Airport (CGC):

• The closest airport to Cape Gloucester Airport (CGC) is Finschhafen Airport (FIN), which is located 90 miles (144 kilometers) SSW of CGC.
• In addition to being known as "Cape Gloucester Airport", other names for CGC include "CPG" and "Cape Gloucester Airport".
• In addition, the 12th Defense Battalion was assigned to the airfield between 30 December 1943 - late May 1944 Australian RAAF Units Based at Cape Gloucester consisted of the 78 Squadron, equipped with P-40 Warhawks.
• Construction of Cape Gloucester Airport originally began in 1942 by the Australians.
• Because of Cape Gloucester Airport's relatively low elevation of 78 feet, planes can take off or land at Cape Gloucester Airport 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.
• Cape Gloucester Airport (CGC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Cape Gloucester Airport (CGC) is Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN), which is located 11,791 miles (18,975 kilometers) away in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil.