Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina:
Departure Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Arrival Airport:
(34°35'17"S by 68°24'12"W)
Distance from FFD to AFA:
7,189.20 miles (11,569.87 km)
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- About this route
- FFD Airport Information
- AFA Airport Information
- Facts about FFD
- Facts about AFA
- Map of Nearest Airports to FFD
- List of Nearest Airports to FFD
- Map of Furthest Airports from FFD
- List of Furthest Airports from FFD
- Map of Nearest Airports to AFA
- List of Nearest Airports to AFA
- Map of Furthest Airports from AFA
- List of Furthest Airports from AFA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and San Rafael Airport (AFA), San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,189 miles (or 11,570 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 RAF Fairford and San Rafael Airport, 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 RAF Fairford and San Rafael Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | FFD / EGVA |
| Airport Name: | RAF Fairford |
| Location: | Fairford, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from FFD |
| More Information: | FFD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | AFA / SAMR |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina |
| GPS Coordinates: | 34°35'17"S by 68°24'12"W |
| Area Served: | San Rafael, Mendoza Province, Argentina |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 2470 feet (753 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from AFA |
| More Information: | AFA Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):
- Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were temporarily assigned to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on rotation.
- RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display.
- RAF Fairford was constructed in 1944 to serve as an airfield for British and American troop carriers and gliders for the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II.
- 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.
- The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of 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.
- KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
Facts about San Rafael Airport (AFA):
- In addition to being known as "San Rafael Airport", another name for AFA is "Aeropuerto San Rafael "Santiago Germano"".
- The furthest airport from San Rafael Airport (AFA) is Luoyang Beijiao Airport (LYA), which is nearly antipodal to San Rafael Airport (meaning San Rafael Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Luoyang Beijiao Airport), and is located 12,391 miles (19,941 kilometers) away in Luoyang, Henan, China.
- The closest airport to San Rafael Airport (AFA) is Comodoro D. Ricardo Salomón Airport (LGS), which is located 91 miles (147 kilometers) SW of AFA.
- San Rafael Airport (AFA) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.00 miles (16.09 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 15.02 miles (24.17 km) SW | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.77 miles (36.64 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 36.28 miles (58.38 km) WSW | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 42.33 miles (68.12 km) E | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 44.98 miles (72.38 km) WSW | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 47.23 miles (76.02 km) SE | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 47.50 miles (76.44 km) ESE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 47.84 miles (76.99 km) SE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 49.48 miles (79.64 km) NNE | Coventry Airport (CVT) | Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 50.42 miles (81.15 km) ENE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 51.85 miles (83.45 km) ESE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 53.35 miles (85.85 km) N | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 53.92 miles (86.78 km) SSE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,897.99 miles (19,147.91 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,874.86 miles (19,110.69 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,869.65 miles (19,102.31 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,860.18 miles (19,087.07 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,839.51 miles (19,053.79 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,834.41 miles (19,045.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,833.87 miles (19,044.72 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,822.95 miles (19,027.15 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,812.41 miles (19,010.18 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,804.61 miles (18,997.63 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,803.98 miles (18,996.62 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,782.42 miles (18,961.92 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,774.40 miles (18,949.02 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,761.76 miles (18,928.67 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,760.44 miles (18,926.54 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 91.09 miles (146.59 km) SW | Comodoro D. Ricardo Salomón Airport (LGS) | Malargüe, Mendoza, Argentina | |
| 2 | 123.40 miles (198.59 km) N | Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (MDZ) | Mendoza, Mendoza Province, Argentina | |
| 3 | 148.57 miles (239.10 km) NE | Brigadier Mayor Cesar Raúl Ojeda Airport (LUQ) | San Luis, Argentina | |
| 4 | 159.49 miles (256.68 km) WNW | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) | Santiago, Chile | |
| 5 | 186.41 miles (300.00 km) W | La Unión Airport (LUI) | La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed] | |
| 6 | 204.94 miles (329.82 km) N | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport (UAQ) | San Juan Province, Argentina | |
| 7 | 209.76 miles (337.58 km) WNW | Viña del Mar Airport (KNA) | Viña del Mar, Chile | |
| 8 | 221.99 miles (357.26 km) SSW | Chos Malal Airport (HOS) | Chos Malal, Neuquén, Argentina | |
| 9 | 231.70 miles (372.88 km) S | Colonia Catriel Airport (CCT) | Colonia Catriel, Río Negro, Argentina | |
| 10 | 246.02 miles (395.93 km) SW | General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) | Chillán, Ñuble, Chile | |
| 11 | 262.17 miles (421.92 km) NE | Villa Dolores Airport (VDR) | Villa Dolores, Córdoba, Argentina | |
| 12 | 268.18 miles (431.59 km) SSW | Caviahue Airport (CVH) | Caviahue, Neuquén, Argentina | |
| 13 | 269.90 miles (434.36 km) ESE | Santa Rosa Airport (RSA) | Santa Rosa, Argentina | |
| 14 | 273.38 miles (439.96 km) ESE | General Pico Airport (GPO) | General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina | |
| 15 | 301.62 miles (485.40 km) S | Presidente Perón Internacional Airport (NQN) | Neuquen, Argentina | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,390.57 miles (19,940.64 km) WNW | Luoyang Beijiao Airport (LYA) | Luoyang, Henan, China | |
| 2 | 12,388.53 miles (19,937.35 km) NE | Yuncheng Guangong Airport (YCU) | Yuncheng, China | |
| 3 | 12,311.28 miles (19,813.04 km) NNW | Nanyang Jiangying Airport (NNY) | Nanyang, Henan, China | |
| 4 | 12,308.99 miles (19,809.36 km) W | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) | Zhengzhou, Henan, China | |
| 5 | 12,295.01 miles (19,786.85 km) E | Xi'an Xiguan Airport (SIA) | Xi'an, Shaanxi, China | |
| 6 | 12,293.40 miles (19,784.26 km) NW | Changzhi Wangcun Airport (CIH) | Changzhi, Shanxi, China | |
| 7 | 12,274.55 miles (19,753.92 km) E | Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) | Xianyang, Shaanxi, China | |
| 8 | 12,263.65 miles (19,736.38 km) NNW | Xiangyang Liuji Airport (XFN) | Xiangfan, Hubei, China | |
| 9 | 12,254.59 miles (19,721.81 km) NE | Yan'an Airport (ENY) | Yan'an, Shaanxi, China | |
| 10 | 12,235.88 miles (19,691.69 km) NE | Ankang Wulipu Airport (AKA) | Ankang, Shaanxi, China | |
| 11 | 12,228.83 miles (19,680.34 km) NW | Handan Airport (HDG) | Handan, Hebei, China | |
| 12 | 12,221.44 miles (19,668.46 km) N | Lüliang Airport (LLV) | Lüliang, Shanxi, China | |
| 13 | 12,220.07 miles (19,666.25 km) NNE | Shennongjia Hongping Airport (HPG) | Shennongjia, Hubei, China | |
| 14 | 12,212.37 miles (19,653.85 km) NW | Xingtai Dalian Airport (XNT) | Xingtai, Hebei, China | |
| 15 | 12,211.08 miles (19,651.78 km) NNW | Taiyuan Wuxu International Airport (TYN) | Taiyuan, Shanxi, China | |