Nonstop flight route between Alma, Michigan, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gratiot Community Airport (AMN), Alma, Michigan, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,958 miles (or 4,761 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 Gratiot Community 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 Gratiot Community 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 Gratiot Community Airport (AMN):

• The closest airport to Gratiot Community Airport (AMN) is Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (MOP), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) N of AMN.
• The furthest airport from Gratiot Community Airport (AMN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,192 miles (18,011 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 9,500 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 26 per day.
• Gratiot Community Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Alma, a city in Gratiot County, Michigan, United States.
• Because of Gratiot Community Airport's relatively low elevation of 754 feet, planes can take off or land at Gratiot Community 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.
• Gratiot Community Airport (AMN) has 2 runways.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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".
• 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 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.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• In 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.