Nonstop flight route between Shimojishima, Japan and Valdosta, Georgia, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shimojishima Airport (SHI), Shimojishima, Japan and Moody Air Force Base (VAD), Valdosta, Georgia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,150 miles (or 13,117 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 Shimojishima Airport and Moody Air Force Base, 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 Shimojishima Airport and Moody Air Force Base. 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 Shimojishima Airport (SHI):

• Shimojishima Airport (SHI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport, also known as Shimoji Airport, was originally built as a 'training airport' for commercial pilots, with a secondary role as a alternative landing site for intercontinental supersonic airliners.
• The furthest airport from Shimojishima Airport (SHI) is Guaraní International Airport (AGT), which is nearly antipodal to Shimojishima Airport (meaning Shimojishima Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Guaraní International Airport), and is located 12,393 miles (19,945 kilometers) away in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.
• The closest airport to Shimojishima Airport (SHI) is Miyako Airport (MMY), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ESE of SHI.
• In addition to being known as "Shimojishima Airport", other names for SHI include "下地島空港" and "Shimojishima Kūkō".
• In 2004, there were some protests over the use of the airport as a refueling stop by USMC helicopters returning from an exercise in the Philippines.
• Because of Shimojishima Airport's relatively low elevation of 25 feet, planes can take off or land at Shimojishima 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.
• On July 22, 1994 Japan Transocean Air suspended flights.

Facts about Moody Air Force Base (VAD):

• On 30 June 1975, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that Moody would transfer from ATC to Tactical Air Command on 1 December 1975.
• Moody Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Lowndes County and Lanier County, about 9 miles northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, United States.
• The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing is a non-flying active support wing activated on 25 January 2008.
• The wing executes worldwide close air support, force protection, and combat search and rescue operations in support of humanitarian interests, United States national security and the global war on terrorism.
• The closest airport to Moody Air Force Base (VAD) is Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) SSW of VAD.
• The furthest airport from Moody Air Force Base (VAD) is Kalbarri Airport (KAX), which is located 11,363 miles (18,286 kilometers) away in Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia.
• On 2 April 2001, the 479th FTG expanded to a second squadron with the activation of the 3d Flying Training Squadron, flying the T-6A Texan II.
• In addition to being known as "Moody Air Force Base", another name for VAD is "Moody AFB".
• To inject more realism into the training, ATC made arrangements with Strategic Air Command to allow instructor pilots to fly intercept missions against SAC bombers with F-86D Sabre, With the addition of interceptor crew training and the acquisition of interceptor aircraft, HQ USAF decided effective 20 October 1953 to assign ATC responsibility for supporting Air Defense Command's interceptor forces.
• Construction got underway on 28 July 1941 for a twin-engine advanced training base with accommodations for 4,100 men.
• Under the Southeast Training Center, Moody AAF controlled several auxiliary airfields