Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Baloi, Lanao del Norte, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Maria Cristina Airport (IGN), Baloi, Lanao del Norte, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,151 miles (or 6,680 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 Maria Cristina 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 Maria Cristina 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):

• 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 "  ".
• 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 spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.

Facts about Maria Cristina Airport (IGN):

• The furthest airport from Maria Cristina Airport (IGN) is Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport (AFL), which is nearly antipodal to Maria Cristina Airport (meaning Maria Cristina Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport), and is located 12,315 miles (19,819 kilometers) away in Alta Floresta, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Maria Cristina Airport (IGN) is Labo Airport (OZC), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) W of IGN.
• Maria Cristina Airport, also known as Iligan Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Iligan City, located in the province of Lanao del Norte in the Philippines.
• The opening of Laguindingan International Airport in 2011 which is located at Laguindingan town in Misamis Oriental, It is expected to augment the city's need for a nearby airport as the new airport is only 65 kilometers away or at most 35 to 40 minutes away from Iligan.
• In addition to being known as "Maria Cristina Airport", another name for IGN is "Paliparan ng Maria Cristina Tugpahanan sa Maria Cristina".
• Maria Cristina Airport (IGN) currently has only 1 runway.