Nonstop flight route between Friday Harbor, Washington, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Friday Harbor Airport (FRD), Friday Harbor, Washington, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,521 miles (or 7,276 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 Friday Harbor Airport and Lajes Air Base, 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 Friday Harbor Airport and Lajes Air Base. 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 Friday Harbor Airport (FRD):

• Friday Harbor Airport is a public use airport located just southwest of the town center of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in the U.S.
• Friday Harbor Airport covers an area of 145 acres which contains one runway with a 3,402 x 75 ft asphalt pavement.
• Because of Friday Harbor Airport's relatively low elevation of 113 feet, planes can take off or land at Friday Harbor 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.
• The closest airport to Friday Harbor Airport (FRD) is Friday Harbor Seaplane Base (FBS), which is located only 1 miles (2 kilometers) NNE of FRD.
• Friday Harbor Airport (FRD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Friday Harbor Airport (FRD) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,726 miles (17,261 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• In addition to being known as "Friday Harbor Airport", another name for FRD is "FHR".

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• In 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Recently, in August 2010, Portuguese news agencies advised for the termination of the F-22 Raptor plan to use Lajes as a platform for DACT training over the Atlantic Ocean.
• Because of Lajes Air Base's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Lajes Air Base 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.
• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• The furthest airport from Lajes Air Base (TER) is Merimbula Airport (MIM), which is nearly antipodal to Lajes Air Base (meaning Lajes Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Merimbula Airport), and is located 12,229 miles (19,680 kilometers) away in Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Lajes Air Base", other names for TER include "Base Aérea das Lajes", "Base Aérea Nº 4" and "Aeroporto das Lajes".
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover.