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):

• While the airport's runway cannot handle larger airplanes, it has filed a request with the Federal Aviation Administration to lengthen the 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.
• Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Morgantown Municipal Airport", another name for MGW is "Walter L. Bill Hart Field".

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.
• 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.
• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• 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".
• 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.
• 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.