Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Hengchun, Taiwan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Hengchun Airport (HCN), Hengchun, Taiwan would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,503 miles (or 5,637 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 Hengchun 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 Hengchun 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 closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of 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.
• 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.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• The base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• In August, after the Soviet Union declared war against the Japanese Empire, B-24s were dispatched on reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions to observe the Russian activity in the Kuriles.
• 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 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 Hengchun Airport (HCN):

• Because of Hengchun Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Hengchun 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.
• Mandarin Airlines and TransAsia Airways dropped out from serving the airport due to poor load factor and Hengchun Peninsular's seasonal strong winds which make landing and take off dangerous.
• The airport construction was finished in 2003 and opened to public in 2004 with a cost of NT$ 539,000,000.
• The closest airport to Hengchun Airport (HCN) is Kaohsiung International Airport (Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport) (KHH), which is located 44 miles (72 kilometers) NNW of HCN.
• In addition to being known as "Hengchun Airport", other names for HCN include "恆春航空站恆春機場" and "Héngchūn HángkōngzhànHéngchūn Jīchǎng".
• Hengchun Airport (HCN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Hengchun Airport (HCN) is Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport (ESG), which is nearly antipodal to Hengchun Airport (meaning Hengchun Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport), and is located 12,350 miles (19,876 kilometers) away in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay.