Nonstop flight route between Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wheeler AAF (HHI), Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,203 miles (or 11,593 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 Wheeler AAF 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 Wheeler AAF 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 Wheeler AAF (HHI):

• There are 739 households out of which 77.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.7% are married couples living together, 6.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 2.0% are non-families.
• The 15th Air Base Squadron inactivated at Wheeler on 31 October 1991, one day before the U.S.
• The furthest airport from Wheeler AAF (HHI) is Ghanzi Airport (GNZ), which is nearly antipodal to Wheeler AAF (meaning Wheeler AAF is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ghanzi Airport), and is located 12,413 miles (19,976 kilometers) away in Ghanzi, Botswana.
• The closest airport to Wheeler AAF (HHI) is Dillingham Airfield (HDH), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) WNW of HHI.
• Wheeler Army Airfield was constructed in the pattern of the Garden City.
• Because of Wheeler AAF's relatively low elevation of 843 feet, planes can take off or land at Wheeler AAF 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.
• In October 1922, the photo section and intelligence units were returned to Luke Field.
• Today, Wheeler Army Airfield comprises approximately 1,389 acres of land returned to the Department of the Army on 1 November 1991.
• The installation has a National Historic Landmark District in association with the attack on 7 December 1941.
• Wheeler AAF comprises approximately 1,389 acres of land adjacent to Schofield Barracks and home to a variety of Department of Defense activities including the Defense Information Systems Agency, the 169th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard, the 193rd Aviation Regiment and Detachment 55 Operational Support Airlift of the Hawaii Army National Guard and the Regular Army's 25th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade.
• Wheeler AAF (HHI) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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".
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• 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.
• 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 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.