Nonstop flight route between Vidalia, Georgia, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield (VDI), Vidalia, Georgia, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,995 miles (or 8,039 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 Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield 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 Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield 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 Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield (VDI):

• Because of Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 275 feet, planes can take off or land at Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield 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 airfield inactivated on 28 December 1944, and was declared surplus in 1946.
• The closest airport to Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield (VDI) is Telfair-Wheeler Airport (MQW), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) WSW of VDI.
• The airfield was opened to the public on 12 August 1940.
• The furthest airport from Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield (VDI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,419 miles (18,377 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Vidalia Regional AirportVidalia-Lyons Army Airfield (VDI) has 2 runways.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 "  ".
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to Eareckson Air Station (SYA) is Casco Cove Coast Guard Station (ATU), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) WNW of SYA.