Nonstop flight route between Fagernes, Norway and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fagernes Airport, Leirin (VDB), Fagernes, Norway and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,535 miles (or 7,298 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 Fagernes Airport, Leirin 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 Fagernes Airport, Leirin 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 Fagernes Airport, Leirin (VDB):

• In addition to being known as "Fagernes Airport, Leirin", another name for VDB is "Fagernes lufthavn, Leirin".
• Fagernes Airport, Leirin handled 7,661 passengers last year.
• The Danish company Dot Lt provides a scheduled service from Fagernes to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen throughout the year.
• Plans for an airport at Fagernes were initiated in 1975, and approved by the Norwegian Parliament in 1984, along with three other regional airports, at Rørvik, Mosjøen and Førde Airport, Bringeland.
• The closest airport to Fagernes Airport, Leirin (VDB) is Gol Airport, Klanten (GLL), which is located only 17 miles (28 kilometers) SSW of VDB.
• The furthest airport from Fagernes Airport, Leirin (VDB) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,225 miles (18,064 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• There is also an NDB, TACAN and a VOR on the island.
• 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.
• 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.
• Jurisdiction of Shemya AFB was transferred from the Aerospace Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command when the former was inactivated on 1 October 1979.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.