Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Reno, Nevada, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,175 miles (or 5,109 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 Reno–Tahoe 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 Reno–Tahoe 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):

• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• The base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• In August, after the Soviet Union declared war against the Japanese Empire, B-24s were dispatched on reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions to observe the Russian activity in the Kuriles.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".

Facts about Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO):

• Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,175 miles (17,984 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is Carson Airport (CSN), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) S of RNO.
• The airport provides convenient access to nine different rental car agencies with rental car pick up available right outside the terminal building.
• Because of Reno–Tahoe International Airport's high elevation of 4,415 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at RNO. Combined with a high temperature, this could make RNO a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The airport is also host to Reno Air National Guard Base, an approximately 60-acre complex which was established on the west side of the airport in 1954 when Air National Guard units relocated from the former Stead AFB in Reno.
• The first terminal building was completed in time for the 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, California in 1960.
• Reno–Tahoe International Airport handled 3,431,986 passengers last year.