Nonstop flight route between Gamba, Gabon and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gamba Airport (GAX), Gamba, Gabon and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,719 miles (or 5,985 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 Gamba Airport and Lajes Air 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 Gamba Airport and Lajes Air 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 Gamba Airport (GAX):

• The closest airport to Gamba Airport (GAX) is Mouila Airport (MJL), which is located 95 miles (153 kilometers) NE of GAX.
• The furthest airport from Gamba Airport (GAX) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is nearly antipodal to Gamba Airport (meaning Gamba Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Canton Island Airport), and is located 12,034 miles (19,366 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• In addition to being known as "Lajes Air Base", other names for TER include "Base Aérea das Lajes", "Base Aérea Nº 4" and "Aeroporto das Lajes".
• Because of Lajes Air Base's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Lajes Air Base 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.
• In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, later Sikorsky H-19.
• The furthest airport from Lajes Air Base (TER) is Merimbula Airport (MIM), which is nearly antipodal to Lajes Air Base (meaning Lajes Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Merimbula Airport), and is located 12,229 miles (19,680 kilometers) away in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base, officially designated Air Base No.
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.