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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and West Wyalong Airport (WWY), West Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,203 miles (or 9,982 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 West Wyalong 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 West Wyalong 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):

• 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.
• 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 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• On 1 July 1994, the 11th Air Control Wing was inactivated and the 673d ABG was reassigned to Eleventh Air Force.
• 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.

Facts about West Wyalong Airport (WWY):

• The furthest airport from West Wyalong Airport (WWY) is Horta International Airport (HOR), which is nearly antipodal to West Wyalong Airport (meaning West Wyalong Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Horta International Airport), and is located 12,047 miles (19,387 kilometers) away in Horta, Azores, Portugal.
• West Wyalong Airport (WWY) has 2 runways.
• Regional Express Airlines provided twice weekly service to Sydney commencing in March 2005.
• Because of West Wyalong Airport's relatively low elevation of 859 feet, planes can take off or land at West Wyalong 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.
• West Wyalong Airport is an airport located 1 nautical mile southWest Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia.
• The closest airport to West Wyalong Airport (WWY) is Forbes Airport (FRB), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) NE of WWY.