Nonstop flight route between Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada and Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro, Panama:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shearwater Heliport (YAW), Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada and Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (BOC), Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro, Panama would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,683 miles (or 4,319 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 Shearwater Heliport and Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International 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 Shearwater Heliport and Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International 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 Shearwater Heliport (YAW):

• Organizers of the "Nova Scotia International Air Show" continued to make use the Shearwater airfield for both ground displays and the air show component until 2002.
• Base rationalization and defence budget cutbacks for the Canadian Forces during the mid-1990s saw a largely administrative move when the formation CFB Shearwater stood down and the facilities transferred to the formation CFB Halifax and aircraft operations becoming the responsibility of newly formed 12 Wing.
• In addition to being known as "Shearwater Heliport", other names for YAW include "Halifax/Shearwater Heliport", "12 Wing Shearwater" and "CFB Shearwater".
• Because of Shearwater Heliport's relatively low elevation of 144 feet, planes can take off or land at Shearwater Heliport 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.
• Following a base rationalization program in the mid-1990s, the Canadian Forces closed CFB Shearwater as a separate formation and realigned the property's various facilities into CFB Halifax.
• The February 1, 1968 unification of the three service branches into the Canadian Forces saw HMCS Shearwater change its name to Canadian Forces Base Shearwater.
• 12 Wing's squadrons at Shearwater Heliport in Nova Scotia and at Patricia Bay in British Columbia currently operate the Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King but is expected to re-equip with the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone commencing in 2012 with the conclusion of the Maritime Helicopter Project.
• The furthest airport from Shearwater Heliport (YAW) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,763 miles (18,931 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Shearwater Heliport (YAW) is Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) N of YAW.
• Defence cutbacks and unit and facility realignments from 1994 to 1996 saw CFB Shearwater stand down as a separate formation and the facility merged as an airfield attached to CFB Halifax.
• The inconvenience of not having a ground component for the "Nova Scotia International Air Show" as a result of the Shearwater Heliport Conversion Project saw the entire event moved to Halifax Stanfield International Airport beginning in 2004.

Facts about Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (BOC):

• The closest airport to Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (BOC) is Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (CHX), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) WNW of BOC.
• Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (BOC) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport", another name for BOC is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón"".
• The furthest airport from Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (BOC) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (meaning Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,230 miles (19,683 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Because of Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International 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.