Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Beihai, Guangxi, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY), Beihai, Guangxi, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,405 miles (or 11,917 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 Lajes Air Base and Beihai Fucheng 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 Lajes Air Base and Beihai Fucheng 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 Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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.
• 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".
• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.
• 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.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.

Facts about Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY):

• The furthest airport from Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) is Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ), which is nearly antipodal to Beihai Fucheng Airport (meaning Beihai Fucheng Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Diego Aracena International Airport), and is located 12,360 miles (19,891 kilometers) away in Iquique, Chile.
• Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Beihai Fucheng Airport", other names for BHY include "北海福成机场", "Běihǎi Fúchéng Jīchǎng" and "ZSBH".
• The closest airport to Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) is Zhanjiang Airport (ZHA), which is located 72 miles (116 kilometers) ESE of BHY.