Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Riverside/Rubidoux, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Flabob Airport (RIR), Riverside/Rubidoux, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,355 miles (or 8,618 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 Flabob 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 Flabob 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• Due to RAF Fairford's location and infrastructure, the airfield is designated as a forward operating location for the US Air Force.
• 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.
• 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 was the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK.
• 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.

Facts about Flabob Airport (RIR):

• Flabob Airport (RIR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Flabob airport is home to Experimental Aircraft Association chapter #1, launched by Ray Stits and since joined by over 1,000 more EAA chapters worldwide.
• The closest airport to Flabob Airport (RIR) is Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) SW of RIR.
• The furthest airport from Flabob Airport (RIR) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,459 miles (18,441 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Because of Flabob Airport's relatively low elevation of 764 feet, planes can take off or land at Flabob 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.
• For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2004, the airport had 40,000 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 109 per day.