Nonstop flight route between Middle Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Middle Caicos Airport (MDS), Middle Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,878 miles (or 4,632 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 Middle Caicos 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 Middle Caicos 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 Middle Caicos Airport (MDS):

• Because of Middle Caicos Airport's relatively low elevation of 9 feet, planes can take off or land at Middle Caicos 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 closest airport to Middle Caicos Airport (MDS) is North Caicos Airport (NCA), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) NW of MDS.
• Middle Caicos Airport (MDS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Middle Caicos Airport (MDS) is RAAF Learmonth (LEA), which is nearly antipodal to Middle Caicos Airport (meaning Middle Caicos Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAAF Learmonth), and is located 12,058 miles (19,406 kilometers) away in Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (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".
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.