Nonstop flight route between Craig, Colorado, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG), Craig, Colorado, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,122 miles (or 6,634 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 Craig–Moffat 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 Craig–Moffat 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 Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG):

• Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Craig–Moffat Airport is a public airport two miles southeast of Craig, in Moffat County, Colorado.
• The furthest airport from Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,906 miles (17,552 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Craig–Moffat Airport", another name for CIG is "CAG".
• In the year ending August 29, 2005 the airport had 2,525 aircraft operations, all general aviation.
• Because of Craig–Moffat Airport's high elevation of 6,193 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at CIG. Combined with a high temperature, this could make CIG a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG) is Yampa Valley Airport (HDN), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) E of CIG.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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.
• Recently, in August 2010, Portuguese news agencies advised for the termination of the F-22 Raptor plan to use Lajes as a platform for DACT training over the Atlantic Ocean.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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.
• 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 supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• 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.