Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Yichang, Hubei, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH), Yichang, Hubei, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,447 miles (or 5,547 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 Yichang Sanxia 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 Yichang Sanxia 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):

• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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.
• On 1 July 1994, the 11th Air Control Wing was inactivated and the 673d ABG was reassigned to Eleventh Air Force.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.

Facts about Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH):

• In addition to being known as "Yichang Sanxia Airport", other names for YIH include "宜昌三峡机场" and "Yíchāng Sānxiá Jīchǎng".
• The furthest airport from Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH) is Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport (UAQ), which is nearly antipodal to Yichang Sanxia Airport (meaning Yichang Sanxia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport), and is located 12,363 miles (19,896 kilometers) away in San Juan Province, Argentina.
• Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH) is Shashi Airport (SHS), which is located 50 miles (81 kilometers) ESE of YIH.