Nonstop flight route between Valledupar, Colombia and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP), Valledupar, Colombia and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,556 miles (or 10,551 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo 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 Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP):

• The closest airport to Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) is La Mina Airport Jorge Isaacs Airport (MCJ), which is located 75 miles (121 kilometers) NE of VUP.
• In addition to being known as "Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport", another name for VUP is "Aeropuerto Alfonso López Pumarejo".
• The furthest airport from Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (meaning Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,365 miles (19,899 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport (VUP) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Alfonso López Pumarejo Airport's relatively low elevation of 456 feet, planes can take off or land at Alfonso López Pumarejo 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.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Additional aircraft and personnel reductions occurred in 1945 and almost all air bases other than Alexi Point, Shemya and Davis in the Aleutians were reduced to caretaker status.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• Shemya has been the scene of two major earthquakes.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.