Nonstop flight route between Terre-de-Haut Island, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Les Saintes Airport (LSS), Terre-de-Haut Island, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,617 miles (or 4,211 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 Les Saintes 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 Les Saintes 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 Les Saintes Airport (LSS):

• In addition to being known as "Les Saintes Airport", another name for LSS is "Aérodrome de Terre-de-Haut".
• The furthest airport from Les Saintes Airport (LSS) is Broome International Airport (BME), which is nearly antipodal to Les Saintes Airport (meaning Les Saintes Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Broome International Airport), and is located 12,147 miles (19,548 kilometers) away in Broome, Western Australia, Australia.
• Les Saintes Airport (LSS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Les Saintes Airport (LSS) is Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) N of LSS.
• Because of Les Saintes Airport's relatively low elevation of 42 feet, planes can take off or land at Les Saintes 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.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, later Sikorsky H-19.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• 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.
• In August 2006, Portuguese news agencies reported that both governments were in discussions for a new agreement that could allow the use of Lajes for the training of a permanent F-22 Raptor squadron.
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• 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.
• 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 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 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".
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.