Nonstop flight route between Rach Gia, Kien Giang, Vietnam and Sumter, South Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rach Gia Airport (VKG), Rach Gia, Kien Giang, Vietnam and Shaw Air Force Base (SSC), Sumter, South Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,379 miles (or 15,094 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 Rach Gia Airport and Shaw Air Force Base, 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 Rach Gia Airport and Shaw Air Force Base. 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 Rach Gia Airport (VKG):

• Because of Rach Gia Airport's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at Rach Gia 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 closest airport to Rach Gia Airport (VKG) is Can Tho International Airport (VCA), which is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) ENE of VKG.
• The furthest airport from Rach Gia Airport (VKG) is Tingo María Airport (TGI), which is nearly antipodal to Rach Gia Airport (meaning Rach Gia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tingo María Airport), and is located 12,346 miles (19,870 kilometers) away in Tingo María, Peru.
• In addition to being known as "Rach Gia Airport", another name for VKG is "Sân bay Rạch Giá".
• Rach Gia Airport (VKG) has 2 runways.

Facts about Shaw Air Force Base (SSC):

• Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces instantiation after the war, being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945.
• On 1 April 1951, the 363d TRW was transferred to Shaw from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia The 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing would remain at Shaw, under various designations, for the next 43 years.
• Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center.
• The furthest airport from Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,545 miles (18,580 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• By 1980, the advent of reconnaissance satellites made the need for tactical aircraft reconnaissance less and less necessary.
• On 23 September 1949 the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was transferred to the 20th from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB Virginia.
• The squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities.
• The closest airport to Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) is Sumter Airport (SUM), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of SSC.