Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Guadalajara, Mexico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL), Guadalajara, Mexico would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,793 miles (or 7,714 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 Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 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 Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 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):

• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• In August 1988, at least one Aries rocket was launched, relating to the Queen Match program, for anti-ballistic missile testing.
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.

Facts about Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL):

• The closest airport to Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL) is Licenciado Miguel de la Madrid Airport (CLQ), which is located 88 miles (141 kilometers) SSW of GDL.
• Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,571 miles (18,621 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The airport is named for Miguel Hidalgo, who began the war that brought Mexican independence from Spain.
• Because of Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport's high elevation of 5,016 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GDL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GDL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport", another name for GDL is "Aeropuerto Internacional Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla".