Nonstop flight route between Bedford, Massachusetts, United States and Bristol, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED), Bedford, Massachusetts, United States and Bristol Airport (BRS), Bristol, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,172 miles (or 5,105 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 Laurence G. Hanscom Field and Bristol 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 Laurence G. Hanscom Field and Bristol 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 Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED):

• On August 8, 1962, a US Air Force KC-135 tanker crashed on approach to Hanscom Field's runway 11, destroying the aircraft and killing all three members of the flight crew.
• Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED) has 2 runways.
• New England's oldest and largest flight school based at Hanscom along with their new facility at Lawrence Airport.
• The furthest airport from Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,753 miles (18,914 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• On May 31, 2014, a private Gulfstream IV business jet crashed and caught fire beyond the end of runway 11 following an aborted take off from Hanscom Field, killing all seven people on board.
• The closest airport to Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED) is Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) ESE of BED.
• Hanscom is a critical part of the air transportation infrastructure for Massachusetts and the rest of New England.
• Because of Laurence G. Hanscom Field's relatively low elevation of 132 feet, planes can take off or land at Laurence G. Hanscom Field 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 addition to being known as "Laurence G. Hanscom Field", another name for BED is "Hanscom Air Force Base".

Facts about Bristol Airport (BRS):

• Because of Bristol Airport's relatively low elevation of 622 feet, planes can take off or land at Bristol 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.
• Bristol Airport does not operate any jetways, so aircraft have to park on the apron and passengers either walk out to their flights or are carried by bus.
• Bristol Airport (BRS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Bristol Airport handled 6,131,896 passengers last year.
• During World War II, Whitchurch was the main civil airport remaining operational.
• The furthest airport from Bristol Airport (BRS) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,941 miles (19,217 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Bristol Airport (BRS) is Bristol Filton Airport (FZO), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) NNE of BRS.
• In 1962 a new control tower was built, and in 1965 the runway was lengthened and extensions were made to the terminal.