Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Salisbury, Maryland, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY), Salisbury, Maryland, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,556 miles (or 5,722 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 Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional 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 Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of 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.

Facts about Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY):

• Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) is Ocean City Municipal Airport (OCE), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) E of SBY.
• The airport is the operational headquarters for US Airways Express carrier Piedmont Airlines.
• In addition to being known as "Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport", another name for SBY is "Salisbury Airport".
• The furthest airport from Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,772 miles (18,944 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Allegiant Air began twice a week service to Orlando-Sanford International Airport in February 2012, using its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jets, but ended the route less than a year later on January 5, 2013 due to the route's relatively small amount of passengers.
• Because of Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 53 feet, planes can take off or land at Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional 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.