Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Manta, Manabí, Ecuador:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC), Manta, Manabí, Ecuador would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,796 miles (or 9,328 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 Eloy Alfaro International 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 Eloy Alfaro International Airport. 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 RAF Fairford (FFD):

• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• The 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron are responsible for the day-to-day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it has adequate resources.
• 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.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC):

• Because of Eloy Alfaro International Airport's relatively low elevation of 48 feet, planes can take off or land at Eloy Alfaro 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.
• Since prior to his election, President Rafael Correa has stated that he would not renew the agreement that allowed the United States access to the base when it expires in November 2009, and commented that "We can negotiate with the U.S.
• The closest airport to Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) is Reales Tamarindos Airport (PVO), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) ESE of MEC.
• The furthest airport from Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) is Aek Godang Airport (AEG), which is nearly antipodal to Eloy Alfaro International Airport (meaning Eloy Alfaro International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aek Godang Airport), and is located 12,405 miles (19,963 kilometers) away in Padang Sidempuan, Indonesia.
• Until July 2009 a portion of the airport was used by the Air Forces Southern Air Force component of the United States Southern Command for operations against illegal cocaine trafficking in northwestern South America.
• Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) currently has only 1 runway.