Nonstop flight route between Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Shemya, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,483 miles (or 7,215 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 Billy Bishop Toronto City 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 Billy Bishop Toronto City 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 Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ):

• At its annual meeting on September 3, 2009, the TPA announced that it would rename the airport after William Avery "Billy" Bishop, a Canadian First World War flying ace.
• By 1970, the annual operating deficit of the airport had reached $200,000.
• Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,411 miles (18,364 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport", another name for YTZ is "Toronto Island Airport".
• In 1999, the operation of the airport was turned over to the new Toronto Port Authority, which took over the responsibilities of the Harbour Commission, including the airport and port functions.
• The closest airport to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) is Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) WNW of YTZ.
• Because of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport's relatively low elevation of 252 feet, planes can take off or land at Billy Bishop Toronto City 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.
• By 1974, the annual operating deficit of running the airport had reached $300,000 per year, $130,000 of it in operating the Maple City ferry.
• The first proposal to build an airport was made in June 1929 by the Toronto Harbour Commission.

Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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 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 "  ".
• It also became a Strategic Air Command refueling site for B-52 Stratofortress bombers and KC-135 tankers as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
• The mission of Eleventh Air Force was to take advantage of the new airfields on Shemya and Attu, and carry out offensive operations against the enemy forces in the Kuriles.
• On 10 July 1943, eight B-25 Mitchells from the 77th Bombardment Squadron left Adak AAF and refueled at Alexai Point AAF on Attu.
• On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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 aerial photos taken on the raid showed the Japanese were building up forces in the area, transferring aircraft presumably from air bases on Hokkaido.