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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Fresno, California, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,271 miles (or 8,482 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT):

• The closest airport to Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) is Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) WSW of FAT.
• Fresno Yosemite International Airport handled 569,879 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,330 miles (18,234 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In 1988 the FAA designated the airport an "International Point of Entry", allowing international flights.
• Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) has 2 runways.
• Other jet airlines that served Fresno in the past included Pacific Air Lines with Boeing 727-100s, Hughes Airwest with Douglas DC-9-10 and DC-9-30s, Pacific Southwest Airlines with Boeing 727-100, 727-200, 737-200 and McDonnell Douglas MD80s, Western Airlines with Boeing 727-200, 737-200 and 737-300s, Delta Air Lines with Boeing 727-200 and 737-300s, the original Frontier Airlines with Boeing 737-200s, Continental Airlines with Boeing 737-200 and 737-300s, AirCal with Boeing 737-200s, Morris Air with Boeing 737-300s and Pacific Express with BAC One-Elevens.
• In 2011 over 1.2 million passengers traveled through Fresno Yosemite International Airport, a 6.4% increase from 2010.
• Because of Fresno Yosemite International Airport's relatively low elevation of 336 feet, planes can take off or land at Fresno Yosemite International Airport 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.
• In the 1990s there was a shift to smaller regional jet and turboprop aircraft.
• Fresno Yosemite International features a 2.4 megawatt solar system, completed in March 2008.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• 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.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• Due to RAF Fairford's location and infrastructure, the airfield is designated as a forward operating location for the US Air Force.
• On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
• 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.
• On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
• RAF Lyneham's position as the primary tactical transport base for the RAF was emphasised in February 1971 when Nos.