Nonstop flight route between Concord, California, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR), Concord, California, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,878 miles (or 7,850 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 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base 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 Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR):

• Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) has 4 runways.
• On December 21, 2006, at about 1900 Zulu, a Piper Malibu crashed while flying the LDA approach into CCR.
• 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.
• 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.
• Buchanan Field does not have scheduled passenger flights.
• For decades, it was common for jets to fly over residential areas.
• The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a reliever airport.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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 civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover.
• Portugal has explored contingencies in the event the United States military eventually abandons Lajes, including the possibility of entering an agreement with the People's Republic of China.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established.
• 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.
• 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".
• 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.