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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH), Fresno, California, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,825 miles (or 7,766 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 Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) 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 Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) 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 Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH):

• The closest airport to Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH) is Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) ENE of FCH.
• The furthest airport from Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,334 miles (18,241 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Because of Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old)'s relatively low elevation of 279 feet, planes can take off or land at Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) 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 United States Army Air Corps Southwest Air District took over the airport in early 1941 while nearby Hammer Army Airfield was being built.
• Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH) currently has only 1 runway.
• Chandler is a general aviation 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 closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• 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 Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, later Sikorsky H-19.