Nonstop flight route between San José, Costa Rica and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ), San José, Costa Rica and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,155 miles (or 9,905 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 Tobías Bolaños International Airport and Eareckson Air Station, 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 Tobías Bolaños International Airport and Eareckson Air Station. 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 Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ):

• The closest airport to Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) is Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) (SJO), which is located only 5 miles (9 kilometers) WNW of SYQ.
• The furthest airport from Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Tobías Bolaños International Airport (meaning Tobías Bolaños International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,269 miles (19,745 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Tobías Bolaños International Airport", another name for SYQ is "Aeropuerto Internacional Tobías Bolaños".
• Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• The station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• 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.
• The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
• Eareckson Air Station is located on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian islands near the larger island of Attu, and is located approximately 1500 miles southwest of Anchorage.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.