Nonstop flight route between Block Island, Rhode Island, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Block Island State Airport (BID), Block Island, Rhode Island, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,270 miles (or 5,263 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 Block Island State Airport and RAF Fairford, 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 Block Island State Airport and RAF Fairford. 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 Block Island State Airport (BID):

• The closest airport to Block Island State Airport (BID) is Montauk Airport (MTP), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) WSW of BID.
• Block Island State Airport is one of six active airports operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the other five being T.F.
• Block Island State Airport (BID) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Block Island State Airport (BID) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,818 miles (19,019 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Block Island State Airport's relatively low elevation of 108 feet, planes can take off or land at Block Island State 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.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were temporarily assigned to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on rotation.
• On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
• On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
• The runway was completed in 1953, and served as a forward airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.