Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA), Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,280 miles (or 10,107 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 Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga 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):

• Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.

Facts about Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA):

• In addition to being known as "Wagga Wagga Airport", another name for WGA is "RAAF Base Wagga".
• On 27 May 2010, Anthony Albanese announced that the federal government would provided funding worth A$1.05 million, as part of the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program, to the Wagga Wagga City Council for the installation of the A$1.63 million Instrument Landing System, which were only found in all of Australia's capital cities.
• In February 2009, Regional Express Airlines announced that the Australian Airline Pilot Academy was relocated from Mangalore Airport in Victoria to Wagga Wagga Airport on 1 April 2009, in partnership with the City of Wagga Wagga.
• Wagga Wagga Airport handled 207,633 passengers last year.
• Because of Wagga Wagga Airport's relatively low elevation of 724 feet, planes can take off or land at Wagga Wagga 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.
• The furthest airport from Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Wagga Wagga Airport (meaning Wagga Wagga Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,130 miles (19,522 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) has 2 runways.
• Wagga Wagga City Council publicly released the Wagga Wagga Airport draft master plan in April 2010, which is to establish direction for future development at the airport over a 20-year period.
• On 27 May 2010, AAPA campus at Wagga Wagga Airport was officially opened by Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese.
• On 28 January 1992 the Wagga Wagga City Council secured a 30-year lease from the Commonwealth of Australia which included $2 million to upgrade the airport's runway which can handle a Boeing 737.
• The closest airport to Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) is Cootamundra Airport (CMD), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) NE of WGA.
• In December 2009, the airport had undergone a $2.2 million upgrade to increase its capacity for future growth and to improve the security at the airport.