Nonstop flight route between Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from YSK to SYA:
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- About this route
- YSK Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about YSK
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to YSK
- List of Nearest Airports to YSK
- Map of Furthest Airports from YSK
- List of Furthest Airports from YSK
- Map of Nearest Airports to SYA
- List of Nearest Airports to SYA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SYA
- List of Furthest Airports from SYA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Sanikiluaq Airport (YSK), Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,827 miles (or 6,158 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 Sanikiluaq 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 Sanikiluaq 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:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | YSK / CYSK |
Airport Name: | Sanikiluaq Airport |
Location: | Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 56°32'12"N by 79°15'0"W |
Operator/Owner: | Government of Nunavut |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 110 feet (34 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from YSK |
More Information: | YSK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SYA / PASY |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Shemya, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 52°42'43"N by 174°6'48"E |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 97 feet (30 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SYA |
More Information: | SYA Maps & Info |
Facts about Sanikiluaq Airport (YSK):
- Sanikiluaq Airport (YSK) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Sanikiluaq Airport's relatively low elevation of 110 feet, planes can take off or land at Sanikiluaq 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 furthest airport from Sanikiluaq Airport (YSK) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 10,744 miles (17,290 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Sanikiluaq Airport (YSK) is Kuujjuarapik Airport (YGW), which is located 104 miles (167 kilometers) SE of YSK.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
- 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 Korean War brought extensive use by the Military Air Transport Service for the logistical support of Korea and Japan.
- By August, Eleventh Air Force B-24s were carrying out successful and accurate attacks on the Japanese military installations and the B-25s were successful in driving the Japanese fishing and much of the shipping out of the North Pacific.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".