Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU), Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,607 miles (or 9,023 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 Sulaimaniyah 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 Sulaimaniyah 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):

• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• In July 1973, Raytheon won a contract to build a system called COBRA DANE on Shemya.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• 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 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 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.

Facts about Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU):

• In addition to being known as "Sulaimaniyah International Airport", other names for ISU include "Firokaxaney Nawdewletî Silêmanî" and "مطار السليمانية الدولي".
• The closest airport to Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU) is Erbil International Airport (EBL), which is located 89 miles (143 kilometers) WNW of ISU.
• Because of Sulaimaniyah International Airport's relatively low elevation of 760 feet, planes can take off or land at Sulaimaniyah International 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.
• Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,575 miles (18,628 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.