Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG), Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,591 miles (or 8,998 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA), 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA). 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.
• By the end of 1944, several hundred American airmen had been interned by the Russians after their crippled aircraft landed on Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
• 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 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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 spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• In August 1988, at least one Aries rocket was launched, relating to the Queen Match program, for anti-ballistic missile testing.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".

Facts about Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG):

• The closest airport to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Rokot Airport (RKI), which is located 99 miles (159 kilometers) SSW of PDG.
• Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)", other names for PDG include "Bandar Udara Internasional Minangkabau (MIA)" and "بانداراينتيرنسيونالمينڠكاباو".
• This airport suffered minor damage because of a earthquake in September 2009.
• Because of Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)'s relatively low elevation of 18 feet, planes can take off or land at Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) 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.
• Along with the development of the airport, the local government has completed a flyover at the intersection of the entrance to the airport which links the Airport with the By-pass arterial road.
• The furthest airport from Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM), which is nearly antipodal to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (meaning Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Carlos Concha Torres International Airport), and is located 12,422 miles (19,991 kilometers) away in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.