Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (SPB), Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,398 miles (or 10,297 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 Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base, 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 Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base. 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 27 January 1992 the 5073rd Air Base Group located at Shemya AFB was re-designated as the Pacific Air Forces Eleventh Air Force 673d Air Base Group.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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 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 Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (SPB):

• Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (SPB) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (SPB) is Cyril E. King Airport (STT), which is located only 2 miles (3 kilometers) W of SPB.
• In addition to being known as "Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base", other names for SPB include "St. Thomas Seaplane Base" and "VI22".
• Because of Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base 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 Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (SPB) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (meaning Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,261 miles (19,732 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.