Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Christiansted, Saint Croix, United States Virgin Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX), Christiansted, Saint Croix, United States Virgin Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,115 miles (or 6,623 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 Henry E. Rohlsen 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 Henry E. Rohlsen 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.
• In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• 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.
• Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, which continued until 1977.

Facts about Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX):

• The closest airport to Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX) is Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base (SSB), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) ENE of STX.
• The furthest airport from Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (meaning Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,218 miles (19,663 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force stationed the 12th Bombardment Squadron at the airport for antisubmarine patrols flying B-18 Bolo aircraft from November 8, 1941 to November 10, 1942.
• Because of Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport's relatively low elevation of 74 feet, planes can take off or land at Henry E. Rohlsen 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.
• Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport (STX) currently has only 1 runway.