Nonstop flight route between Clifton/Morenci, Arizona, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Greenlee County Airport (CFT), Clifton/Morenci, Arizona, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,457 miles (or 7,174 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 Greenlee County 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 Greenlee County 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 Greenlee County Airport (CFT):

• Greenlee County Airport (CFT) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Greenlee County Airport (CFT) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,416 miles (18,373 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Greenlee County Airport covers an area of 457 acres at an elevation of 3,798 feet above mean sea level.
• The closest airport to Greenlee County Airport (CFT) is Safford Regional Airport (SAD), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) WSW of CFT.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• During World War II, the designation of the airfield was changed to Air Base No.4 and the Portuguese government expanded the runway, sending troops and equipment to Terceira, including Gloster Gladiator fighters.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• During the Portuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.
• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• 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 United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.