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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (XMF), Montbéliard, France and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,474 miles (or 8,809 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 Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome 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 Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome 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 Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (XMF):

• The closest airport to Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (XMF) is EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) ENE of XMF.
• In addition to being known as "Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome", another name for XMF is "Aérodrome de Montbéliard - Courcelles".
• The furthest airport from Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (XMF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (meaning Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,138 miles (19,535 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (XMF) has 2 runways.

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.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• 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.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• 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.
• 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 August 1988, at least one Aries rocket was launched, relating to the Queen Match program, for anti-ballistic missile testing.