Nonstop flight route between Indianapolis, Indiana, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Indianapolis, Indiana, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,109 miles (or 5,003 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 Indianapolis International 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 Indianapolis International 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 Indianapolis International Airport (IND):

• In the same year United Airlines finished building Indianapolis Maintenance Center, at a cost of $USD 600 million.
• The airport's master plan calls for a fourth runway to be built southeast of I-70 sometime in the future.
• The furthest airport from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,191 miles (18,011 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND) has 3 runways.
• During the late 1980s and early 1990s USAir had a secondary hub in Indianapolis with non-stop jets to the west coast, east coast, and Florida and turboprop flights to cities around the Midwest.
• Because of Indianapolis International Airport's relatively low elevation of 797 feet, planes can take off or land at Indianapolis 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.
• On October 31, 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184, which was flying from Indianapolis to Chicago, Illinois's O'Hare International Airport, crashed into a soybean field near the northwestern Indiana town of Roselawn, killing all 68 on board.
• Indianapolis International Airport handled 7,526,414 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is Pope Field (GFD), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) E of IND.

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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Despite NATO and non-NATO fighter and transport planes which continue to use Lajes on a regular basis, the US DoD movements are now at an all time low.
• During World War II, the designation of the airfield was changed to Air Base No.4 and the Portuguese government expanded the runway, sending troops and equipment to Terceira, including Gloster Gladiator fighters.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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".