Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Masamba, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Andi Jemma Airport (MXB), Masamba, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,920 miles (or 7,918 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 Andi Jemma 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 Andi Jemma 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 "  ".
• 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.
• 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 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 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.

Facts about Andi Jemma Airport (MXB):

• The furthest airport from Andi Jemma Airport (MXB) is Lethem Airport (LTM), which is nearly antipodal to Andi Jemma Airport (meaning Andi Jemma Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Lethem Airport), and is located 12,380 miles (19,924 kilometers) away in Lethem, Guyana.
• The closest airport to Andi Jemma Airport (MXB) is Soroako Airport (SQR), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) E of MXB.
• In addition to being known as "Andi Jemma Airport", another name for MXB is "Bandara Andi Jemma".
• Andi Jemma Airport (MXB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Andi Jemma Airport's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Andi Jemma 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.