Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Somerset, Kentucky, United States:
Departure Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Arrival Airport:
(37°3'12"N by 84°36'56"W)
Distance from FFD to SME:
3,985.72 miles (6,414.37 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- FFD Airport Information
- SME Airport Information
- Facts about FFD
- Facts about SME
- Map of Nearest Airports to FFD
- List of Nearest Airports to FFD
- Map of Furthest Airports from FFD
- List of Furthest Airports from FFD
- Map of Nearest Airports to SME
- List of Nearest Airports to SME
- Map of Furthest Airports from SME
- List of Furthest Airports from SME
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME), Somerset, Kentucky, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,986 miles (or 6,414 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 Lake Cumberland 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 Lake Cumberland Regional Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | FFD / EGVA |
| Airport Name: | RAF Fairford |
| Location: | Fairford, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from FFD |
| More Information: | FFD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SME / KSME |
| Airport Name: | Lake Cumberland Regional Airport |
| Location: | Somerset, Kentucky, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°3'12"N by 84°36'56"W |
| Area Served: | Somerset, Kentucky |
| Operator/Owner: | Somerset-Pulaski County |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 927 feet (283 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SME |
| More Information: | SME Maps & Info |
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
- 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 Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME):
- Because of Lake Cumberland Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 927 feet, planes can take off or land at Lake Cumberland 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.
- Lake Cumberland Regional Airport currently does not have commercial service.
- The closest airport to Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME) is London-Corbin Airport (LOZ), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) E of SME.
- The furthest airport from Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,309 miles (18,200 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Lake Cumberland Regional Airport covers an area of 288 acres at an elevation of 927 feet above mean sea level.
- Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (SME) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.00 miles (16.09 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 15.02 miles (24.17 km) SW | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.77 miles (36.64 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 36.28 miles (58.38 km) WSW | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 42.33 miles (68.12 km) E | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 44.98 miles (72.38 km) WSW | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 47.23 miles (76.02 km) SE | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 47.50 miles (76.44 km) ESE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 47.84 miles (76.99 km) SE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 49.48 miles (79.64 km) NNE | Coventry Airport (CVT) | Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 50.42 miles (81.15 km) ENE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 51.85 miles (83.45 km) ESE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 53.35 miles (85.85 km) N | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 53.92 miles (86.78 km) SSE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,897.99 miles (19,147.91 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,874.86 miles (19,110.69 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,869.65 miles (19,102.31 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,860.18 miles (19,087.07 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,839.51 miles (19,053.79 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,834.41 miles (19,045.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,833.87 miles (19,044.72 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,822.95 miles (19,027.15 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,812.41 miles (19,010.18 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,804.61 miles (18,997.63 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,803.98 miles (18,996.62 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,782.42 miles (18,961.92 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,774.40 miles (18,949.02 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,761.76 miles (18,928.67 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,760.44 miles (18,926.54 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 29.75 miles (47.88 km) E | London-Corbin Airport (LOZ) | London, Kentucky, United States | |
| 2 | 67.91 miles (109.28 km) N | Blue Grass Airport (LEX) | Lexington, Kentucky, United States | |
| 3 | 71.53 miles (115.11 km) NW | Samuels Field (BRY) | Bardstown, Kentucky, United States | |
| 4 | 73.82 miles (118.81 km) W | Glasgow Municipal Airport (GLW) | Glasgow, Kentucky, United States | |
| 5 | 78.28 miles (125.98 km) S | Rockwood Municipal Airport (RKW) | Rockwood, Tennessee, United States | |
| 6 | 79.57 miles (128.05 km) NNW | Capital City Airport (FFT) | Frankfort, Kentucky, United States | |
| 7 | 84.14 miles (135.41 km) WNW | Addington Field (EKX) | Elizabethtown, Kentucky, United States | |
| 8 | 91.52 miles (147.29 km) SE | Morristown Regional Airport (MOR) | Morristown, Tennessee, United States | |
| 9 | 92.54 miles (148.93 km) SSE | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 10 | 94.92 miles (152.75 km) NW | Godman Army Airfield (FTK) | Fort Knox, Kentucky, United States | |
| 11 | 98.78 miles (158.97 km) NW | Louisville International Airport (SDF) | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | |
| 12 | 99.36 miles (159.90 km) NW | Bowman Field (LOU) | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | |
| 13 | 99.73 miles (160.50 km) W | Paducah KY (BWG) | Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States | |
| 14 | 102.35 miles (164.71 km) SE | Gatlinburg–Pigeon Forge Airport (GKT) | Sevierville, Tennessee, United States | |
| 15 | 114.48 miles (184.24 km) S | McMinn County Airport (MMI) | Athens, Tennessee, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,309.05 miles (18,200.10 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,287.65 miles (18,165.67 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,265.95 miles (18,130.74 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,258.23 miles (18,118.32 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 11,240.41 miles (18,089.64 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 11,224.29 miles (18,063.70 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 11,216.42 miles (18,051.03 km) WSW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 11,215.52 miles (18,049.58 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 11,182.64 miles (17,996.66 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 11,177.80 miles (17,988.88 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 11,164.01 miles (17,966.68 km) W | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 11,163.01 miles (17,965.07 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 11,129.18 miles (17,910.63 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 11,128.91 miles (17,910.20 km) WSW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 11,120.18 miles (17,896.16 km) WSW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |