Nonstop flight route between Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (VAG), Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,440 miles (or 15,192 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 Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky 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 Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky 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 Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (VAG):

• Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (VAG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (VAG) is Brigadeiro Cabral Airport (DIQ), which is located 105 miles (169 kilometers) NNE of VAG.
• In addition to being known as "Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport", another name for VAG is "Aeroporto Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky".
• The furthest airport from Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (VAG) is Minami-Daito Airport (MMD), which is nearly antipodal to Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (meaning Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Minami-Daito Airport), and is located 12,077 miles (19,437 kilometers) away in Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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 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.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.