Nonstop flight route between McAllen, Texas, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE), McAllen, Texas, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,080 miles (or 8,176 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 McAllen Miller International Airport and RAF Fairford, 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 McAllen Miller International Airport and RAF Fairford. 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 McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE):

• McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) has 2 runways.
• McAllen Miller International Airport is a city owned, public use airport located two nautical miles south of the central business district of McAllen, a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States.
• In 2008, a terminal capacity study was conducted to assess the future needs of the airport and possible terminal expansion to include eight gates, larger ticketing/office area, TSA security area queue.
• According to the updated 20-year Master Plan for MFE, runway 13/31 will be extended to 10,000 ft.
• The closest airport to McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) is General Lucio Blanco International Airport (REX), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) S of MFE.
• The furthest airport from McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,187 miles (18,003 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Because of McAllen Miller International Airport's relatively low elevation of 107 feet, planes can take off or land at McAllen Miller 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.
• As of May 1, 2012, Delta ceased operations at MFE and concluded the SkyTeam presence at this airport.
• As of March 2012, the airport is currently undergoing expansion and renovation with an expected completion date of March 2014.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display.
• In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
• Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were temporarily assigned to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on rotation.