Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Destin, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (DSI), Destin, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,941 miles (or 7,952 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 Destin–Fort Walton Beach 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 Destin–Fort Walton Beach 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
• 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.

Facts about Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (DSI):

• The closest airport to Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (DSI) is Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) NNW of DSI.
• Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport covers an area of 395 acres at an elevation of 22 feet above mean sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport", other names for DSI include "Coleman Kelly Field" and "DTS".
• The furthest airport from Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (DSI) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,178 miles (17,990 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Destin–Fort Walton Beach 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.
• Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (DSI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The first fatal aircraft accident recorded at the Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport occurred on February 16, 1975, when a Cessna 210 with three people on board crashed shortly after a 0100 hrs.