Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SYA to VFA:
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- About this route
- SYA Airport Information
- VFA Airport Information
- Facts about SYA
- Facts about VFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to VFA
- List of Nearest Airports to VFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from VFA
- List of Furthest Airports from VFA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Victoria Falls Airport (VFA), Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,498 miles (or 15,286 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 Victoria Falls 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 Victoria Falls Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | VFA / FVFA |
Airport Name: | Victoria Falls Airport |
Location: | Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe |
GPS Coordinates: | 18°5'45"S by 25°50'20"E |
Area Served: | Victoria Falls |
Operator/Owner: | Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe |
Airport Type: | Civil |
Elevation: | 3490 feet (1,064 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from VFA |
More Information: | VFA Maps & Info |
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
- It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
- 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.
- Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- 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.
- 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 spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
- 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.
Facts about Victoria Falls Airport (VFA):
- The furthest airport from Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is nearly antipodal to Victoria Falls Airport (meaning Victoria Falls Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hilo International Airport), and is located 12,310 miles (19,812 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) is Livingstone Airport (LVI), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) N of VFA.
- Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) currently has only 1 runway.