Nonstop flight route between Dorado, Puerto Rico and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Dorado Airport (DDP), Dorado, Puerto Rico and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,730 miles (or 4,394 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 Dorado 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 Dorado 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 Dorado Airport (DDP):

• Much later on, a large airline named Caribair, began flights there.
• The closest airport to Dorado Airport (DDP) is Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG), which is located only 13 miles (20 kilometers) E of DDP.
• The furthest airport from Dorado Airport (DDP) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Dorado Airport (meaning Dorado Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,237 miles (19,694 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• Dorado Airport (DDP) currently has only 1 runway.
• During the early 1980s, Dorado was served by Dorado Wings, a small airline that operated commuter flights between Dorado Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.
• Clara Livingston, at the time owner of the property, ordered the strip to be built, and her friend, Amelia Earhart, may have used the facility as well.

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.
• In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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".
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In August 2006, Portuguese news agencies reported that both governments were in discussions for a new agreement that could allow the use of Lajes for the training of a permanent F-22 Raptor squadron.
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.