Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and La Jolla de Cortes, Sonora, Mexico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Mar de Cortés International Airport (PPE), La Jolla de Cortes, Sonora, Mexico would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,365 miles (or 8,633 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 Mar de Cortés 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 Mar de Cortés 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.
• 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.
• Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England which is currently a standby airfield and therefore not in everyday use.
• 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.
• The runway was completed in 1953, and served as a forward airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.
• 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.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.

Facts about Mar de Cortés International Airport (PPE):

• In addition to being known as "Mar de Cortés International Airport", other names for PPE include "Aeropuerto Internacional del Mar de Cortés" and "MMPE".
• Mar de Cortés International Airport (PPE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Mar de Cortés International Airport (PPE) is San Felipe International Airport (SFH), which is located 94 miles (151 kilometers) WSW of PPE.
• The furthest airport from Mar de Cortés International Airport (PPE) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,609 miles (18,683 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The airport was inaugurated on November 5, 2009 when President Felipe Calderón's presidential plane landed on the runway for the Border Governors' meeting.
• Because of Mar de Cortés International Airport's relatively low elevation of 71 feet, planes can take off or land at Mar de Cortés 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.