Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Olathe, Kansas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and New Century AirCenter (JCI), Olathe, Kansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,188 miles (or 6,740 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 New Century AirCenter, 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 New Century AirCenter. 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):

• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.

Facts about New Century AirCenter (JCI):

• In addition to being known as "New Century AirCenter", another name for JCI is "IXD".
• The furthest airport from New Century AirCenter (JCI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,743 miles (17,288 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to New Century AirCenter (JCI) is Johnson County Executive Airport (OJC), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) E of JCI.
• With the departure of Navy and Marine Corps Reserve flying units, the sole remaining military aviation presence at the airfield is the US Army Reserve's Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, flying the CH-47 Chinook.
• New Century AirCenter (JCI) has 2 runways.
• The base was featured in a segment on the A&E Network entitled “Haunted America” in which it is claimed the base is the site of paranormal activity after a Navy pilot crashed into an aircraft hangar next to the airport control tower in the 1950s.