Nonstop flight route between Leesburg, Virginia, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO), Leesburg, Virginia, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,677 miles (or 4,308 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 Leesburg Executive 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 Leesburg Executive 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 Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO):

• Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport is owned by the Town of Leesburg, a corporate entity within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• The furthest airport from Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,650 miles (18,749 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Leesburg Executive Airport", another name for JYO is "Godfrey Field".
• The closest airport to Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO) is Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) SSE of JYO.
• Because of Leesburg Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 389 feet, planes can take off or land at Leesburg Executive 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 airport is currently a designated general aviation reliever airport for Dulles International, 10 miles to the southeast, and in 2008 hosted 231 aircraft based on the field and an average of 265 aircraft operations per day.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (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.
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• 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.
• 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".
• 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.
• 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.