Nonstop flight route between Shemya, Alaska, United States and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eareckson Air Station (SYA), Shemya, Alaska, United States and Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP), Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,637 miles (or 10,680 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 Eareckson Air Station and Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport, 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 Eareckson Air Station and Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport. 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 Eareckson Air Station (SYA):

• On 28 May 1943, a small detachment of Alaskan Scouts began reconnaissance of Shemya, a small, flat, uninhabited island 35 miles to the east of Attu.
• In addition to being known as "Eareckson Air Station", other names for SYA include "Shemya Air Force Base", "Shemya Army Airfield" and "  ".
• Shemya also continued to support the Great Circle Route for MATS and later Military Airlift Command transports between Japan and Elmendorf AFB.
• 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 1966 the Air Defense Command 9th Air Division assumed jurisdiction of the base.
• With the exception of a small station housekeeping unit, Shemya was abandoned after the war.
• Eareckson Air Station (SYA) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• A second attack by B-24 Liberators was launched from Alexai Point and Shemya on 18 July.
• 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.

Facts about Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP):

• The former Air Guadeloupe had its head office on the airport property.
• The furthest airport from Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP) is Broome International Airport (BME), which is nearly antipodal to Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (meaning Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Broome International Airport), and is located 12,163 miles (19,574 kilometers) away in Broome, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport's relatively low elevation of 35 feet, planes can take off or land at Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet 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 closest airport to Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP) is Les Saintes Airport (LSS), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) S of PTP.
• The airport resides at an elevation of 35 ft above mean sea level.
• Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport", other names for PTP include "Aérodrome de Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet" and "Aéroport Guadeloupe Pôle Caraïbes".