Nonstop flight route between Vernal, Utah, United States and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vernal Regional Airport (VEL), Vernal, Utah, United States and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,547 miles (or 5,709 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 Vernal Regional 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 Vernal Regional 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 Vernal Regional Airport (VEL):

• The closest airport to Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) is Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS), which is located 83 miles (134 kilometers) NNE of VEL.
• Because of Vernal Regional Airport's high elevation of 5,278 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at VEL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make VEL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Vernal Regional Airport", another name for VEL is "Vernal - Uintah County Airport".
• Air Midwest began flights to Salt Lake City International Airport on 2 July 2006, replacing Salmon Air.
• The furthest airport from Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,947 miles (17,617 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) has 2 runways.
• Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 5,474 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 3,805 in 2009 and 4,461 in 2010.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• 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.
• 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 base host squadron was re-designated the 5073rd Air Base Squadron on October 1962, and upgraded to a group on 15 October 1974 in recognition of the number and complexities of the tenant units it supported.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• 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.