Nonstop flight route between Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,530 miles (or 5,681 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 Sioux Falls Regional 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 Sioux Falls Regional 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 Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD):

• The closest airport to Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is Madison Municipal Airport (XMD), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) NNW of FSD.
• Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) has 3 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Sioux Falls Regional Airport", another name for FSD is "Joe Foss Field".
• Joe Foss Field covers an area of 1,570 acres at an elevation of 1,430 feet above mean sea level.
• Sioux Falls Regional Airport, also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport owned by the Sioux Falls Regional Airport Authority and located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Sioux Falls, a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States.
• Also located here is the Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station, home to Headquarters, South Dakota Air National Guard and its 114th Fighter Wing, an Air Combat Command gained unit known as the "Fighting Lobos" and operating F-16C/D aircraft.
• The furthest airport from Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,610 miles (17,075 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• 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 the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S.
• 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".
• 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.
• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• During the Portuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.