Nonstop flight route between Vannes, France and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Meucon Airport (VNE), Vannes, France and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,495 miles (or 8,844 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 Meucon 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 Meucon 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 Meucon Airport (VNE):

• The airport was returned to French civil control after the war ended on 20 June 1945.
• The furthest airport from Meucon Airport (VNE) is Oamaru Airport (OAM), which is nearly antipodal to Meucon Airport (meaning Meucon Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Oamaru Airport), and is located 12,086 miles (19,450 kilometers) away in Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand.
• The airport was liberated by Allied ground forces about 10 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign.
• KG 100 took part in operations over England during the Battle of Britain JG 53, JG 51 and JG 2 were interceptor units against Allied bomber operations over Occupied Europe
• In addition to being known as "Meucon Airport", another name for VNE is "Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-33".
• Because of Meucon Airport's relatively low elevation of 440 feet, planes can take off or land at Meucon 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 Meucon Airport (VNE) is Lorient South Brittany Airport (LRT), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) W of VNE.
• Meucon Airport (VNE) has 2 runways.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• With the successful completion of the Aleutian Campaign in August 1943, Eleventh Air Force came within striking distance of the Japanese Kurile Islands, the northernmost being 750 miles to the south-southwest of Shemya.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• In 1958, the Air Force resumed operations on Shemya in support of various Air Force and Army strategic intelligence collection activities.
• The Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
• 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 station was also used by SAC Cobra Ball and other related projects which monitored missile-associated signals and tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile proliferation.
• 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.