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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW), Morgantown, West Virginia, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,787 miles (or 4,485 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 Morgantown Municipal 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 Morgantown Municipal 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 Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 10,239 passenger boardings in calendar year 2012, a decrease of 4.1% from the 10,674 enplanements in 2011 and 12.7% from the peak enplanements of 11,727 in 2009.
• In addition to being known as "Morgantown Municipal Airport", another name for MGW is "Walter L. Bill Hart Field".
• Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW) is Greene County Airport (WAY), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) NNW of MGW.
• The furthest airport from Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,518 miles (18,537 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• The civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover.
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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 origin of the Lajes Field dates back to 1928, when Portuguese Army Lieutenant colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva wrote a report on the possible construction of an airfield in the plainland of Lajes, for that branch's aviation service.
• 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.
• On 14 December 2012 it was announced that personnel at Lajes Field will be reduced in 2014 with a reduction of 400 military personnel and 500 family members.