Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Neiva, Colombia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Benito Salas Airport (NVA), Neiva, Colombia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,902 miles (or 11,108 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 Benito Salas 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 Benito Salas 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 August 1988, at least one Aries rocket was launched, relating to the Queen Match program, for anti-ballistic missile testing.
• 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 aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over 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.

Facts about Benito Salas Airport (NVA):

• Benito Salas Airport (NVA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Benito Salas Airport", another name for NVA is "Aeropuerto Benito Salas".
• The closest airport to Benito Salas Airport (NVA) is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which is located 85 miles (138 kilometers) WNW of NVA.
• The furthest airport from Benito Salas Airport (NVA) is Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (SMB II) (PLM), which is nearly antipodal to Benito Salas Airport (meaning Benito Salas Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (SMB II)), and is located 12,433 miles (20,009 kilometers) away in Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia.