Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Zumpango, State of Mexico, Mexico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Santa Lucía Air Force Base (NLU), Zumpango, State of Mexico, Mexico would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,454 miles (or 8,778 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 Santa Lucía Air Force 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 RAF Fairford and Santa Lucía Air Force 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, which continued until 1977.
• 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.
• 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.
• RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display.

Facts about Santa Lucía Air Force Base (NLU):

• The closest airport to Santa Lucía Air Force Base (NLU) is Cupul National Airport (TZM), which is located only 0 mile (0 kilometer) N of NLU.
• Santa Lucía Air Force Base (NLU) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Santa Lucía Air Force Base (NLU) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,291 miles (18,172 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Lucía Air Force Base", another name for NLU is "Base Aérea No. 1 Santa Lucía".