Nonstop flight route between Bismarck, North Dakota, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS), Bismarck, North Dakota, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,639 miles (or 5,856 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 Bismarck Municipal 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 Bismarck Municipal 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 Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS):

• The furthest airport from Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,375 miles (16,696 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) has 2 runways.
• A $15 million terminal designed by Tvenge Associates opened in May 2005.
• The closest airport to Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) is Ashley Municipal Airport (ASY), which is located 84 miles (135 kilometers) SE of BIS.
• Bismarck Municipal Airport is in Burleigh County, North Dakota, three miles southeast of the City of Bismarck, which owns it.
• Bismarck Municipal Airport covers 2,425 acres at an elevation of 1,661 feet.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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".
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.
• 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.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.