Nonstop flight route between Chevak, Alaska, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from VAK to SYA:
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- About this route
- VAK Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about VAK
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to VAK
- List of Nearest Airports to VAK
- Map of Furthest Airports from VAK
- List of Furthest Airports from VAK
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Chevak Airport (VAK), Chevak, Alaska, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 968 miles (or 1,558 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 relatively short distance between Chevak Airport and Eareckson Air Station, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | VAK / PAVA |
| Airport Name: | Chevak Airport |
| Location: | Chevak, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 61°32'26"N by 165°36'2"W |
| Operator/Owner: | State of Alaska DOT&PF - Central Region |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 75 feet (23 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from VAK |
| More Information: | VAK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
| More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Facts about Chevak Airport (VAK):
- The closest airport to Chevak Airport (VAK) is Hooper Bay Airport (HPB), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) W of VAK.
- Chevak Airport (VAK) has 2 runways.
- Because of Chevak Airport's relatively low elevation of 75 feet, planes can take off or land at Chevak 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 Chevak Airport (VAK) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,523 miles (16,935 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
- The news of the surrender of the Japanese was met with enthusiasm, the biggest topic was "When do we go home?".
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
- The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.
- 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.
