Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Pensacola, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Pensacola International Airport (PNS), Pensacola, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,411 miles (or 7,099 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 Pensacola 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 Pensacola 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):

• Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, which continued until 1977.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
• On 14 January 2004, the 420th Air Base Group was established at RAF Fairford to improve the control of its geographically separated units that had been aligned beneath the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.

Facts about Pensacola International Airport (PNS):

• The most common aircraft used by the airlines is the ERJ-145 on American Eagle and United Express.
• The closest airport to Pensacola International Airport (PNS) is NOLF Saufley Field (NUN), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) W of PNS.
• The furthest airport from Pensacola International Airport (PNS) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,148 miles (17,940 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Pensacola mayor Ashton Hawyard announced on November 9, 2011 that, despite not serving any international destinations, the airport would change its name from Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport to Pensacola International Airport effective immediately.
• Because of Pensacola International Airport's relatively low elevation of 121 feet, planes can take off or land at Pensacola 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.
• On May 8, 1978 National Airlines Flight 193 landed in Escambia Bay while approaching the east-west runway.
• Pensacola International Airport (PNS) has 2 runways.
• In 1935 a passenger terminal opened, and airline service began two years later.