Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Rennes, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS), Rennes, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,469 miles (or 8,801 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 Rennes–Saint-Jacques 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 Rennes–Saint-Jacques 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):

• The 404th Bombardment Squadron flew B-24 Liberator heavy bombers along with one Beechcraft AT-7, which was used for navigator training.
• 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.
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• 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 aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.
• By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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 Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS):

• Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) is Dinard–Pleurtuit–Saint-Malo Airport (DNR), which is located 39 miles (63 kilometers) NNW of RNS.
• The furthest airport from Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (meaning Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,048 miles (19,390 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport", another name for RNS is "Aéroport de Rennes – Saint-JacquesAdvanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-27".
• This airport has some local competition with the Dinard Pleurtuit Saint-Malo Airport, on the Channel coast, preferred by low cost companies for passengers.
• It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 7 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign.
• Because of Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport's relatively low elevation of 124 feet, planes can take off or land at Rennes–Saint-Jacques 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.
• Seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France, Rennes airport was used as a Luftwaffe military airfield during the occupation.