Nonstop flight route between Gilgit, Pakistan and Shemya, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GIL to SYA:
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- About this route
- GIL Airport Information
- SYA Airport Information
- Facts about GIL
- Facts about SYA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GIL
- List of Nearest Airports to GIL
- Map of Furthest Airports from GIL
- List of Furthest Airports from GIL
- 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 Gilgit Airport (GIL), Gilgit, Pakistan and Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,661 miles (or 7,501 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 Gilgit 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 Gilgit 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: | GIL / OPGT |
Airport Name: | Gilgit Airport |
Location: | Gilgit, Pakistan |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°55'6"N by 74°20'0"E |
Area Served: | Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan |
Operator/Owner: | Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 4796 feet (1,462 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GIL |
More Information: | GIL 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 Gilgit Airport (GIL):
- The furthest airport from Gilgit Airport (GIL) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,793 miles (18,979 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
- The closest airport to Gilgit Airport (GIL) is Chilas Airport (CHB), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) SSW of GIL.
- Because of Gilgit Airport's high elevation of 4,796 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GIL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GIL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Gilgit Airport (GIL) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Eareckson Air Station (SYA):
- 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.
- On 6 April 1993, Shemya Air Force Base was renamed Eareckson Air Station.
- In 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.
- 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.
- A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
- Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
- Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
- The spring of 1944 brought improving weather and the B-24s and PV-1s to fly more missions over the Kuriles.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and " ".
- The limited resources assigned to the Eleventh Air Force meant only a limited number of missions could be carried out over the Kuriles.