Nonstop flight route between Concord, California, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR), Concord, California, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,273 miles (or 8,486 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR):

• Buchanan Field Airport is a county-owned public-use airport in Contra Costa County, California, United States.
• On December 21, 2006, at about 1900 Zulu, a Piper Malibu crashed while flying the LDA approach into CCR.
• On the evening of December 23, 1985 a Beechcraft Baron N1494G, executing a missed instrument approach procedure from an approach to runway 19R, lost control and crashed into the roof of the Macy's Department Store at nearby Sunvalley Mall, killing the pilot and two passengers and seriously injuring 84 Christmas shoppers in the crowded mall, mainly by spraying them with burning fuel.
• Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) has 4 runways.
• The furthest airport from Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,334 miles (18,241 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) is Napa County Airport (APC), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) NW of CCR.
• Beginning in the 1990s the Board of Supervisors updated the Buchanan Field Airport Master Plan.
• Because of Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Buchanan FieldConcord Army 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.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• The 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron are responsible for the day-to-day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it has adequate resources.
• 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.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.