Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH), Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,260 miles (or 8,465 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 Sultan Azlan Shah 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 Sultan Azlan Shah 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 "  ".
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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.
• 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 Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• 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 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.
• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• 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.
• The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• 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.

Facts about Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH):

• The furthest airport from Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH) is Camilo Ponce Enriquez Airport (LOH), which is nearly antipodal to Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (meaning Sultan Azlan Shah Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Camilo Ponce Enriquez Airport), and is located 12,386 miles (19,933 kilometers) away in Loja, Ecuador.
• Because of Sultan Azlan Shah Airport's relatively low elevation of 130 feet, planes can take off or land at Sultan Azlan Shah 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.
• There was an upgrade that was started in April 2011 and was completed in November 2012.
• Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH) is Sitiawan Airport (SWY), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) SW of IPH.
• Sultan Azlan Shah Airport handled 73,354 passengers last year.
• Originally a small Fokker airfield, it steadily expanded to accommodate jet operations.