Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Detroit, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET), Detroit, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,428 miles (or 7,127 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 Coleman A. Young International 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 Coleman A. Young International 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 Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• 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.

Facts about Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET):

• The airport was once served by Southwest Airlines and Chautauqua Airlines which left after less than one year of service.Spirit Airlines planned service to the airport using McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 aircraft in 1995, but the service never began.Pro Air, a commercial passenger airline, was based at the airport and grounded by the FAA due to poor maintenance performance.
• Until around 1965 the airport boasted a gas tank 330 ft tall at 42.40817N 83.00926W NAD83, less than 630 ft west of the centerline of runway 15/33.
• The furthest airport from Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,295 miles (18,178 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Coleman A. Young International Airport's relatively low elevation of 626 feet, planes can take off or land at Coleman A. Young International 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.
• Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) has 2 runways.
• DET was Detroit's airline airport until 1946-47 when almost all airline flights moved to Willow Run Airport.
• The closest airport to Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) is Windsor International Airport (YQG), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) SSE of DET.