Nonstop flight route between Mareeba, Queensland, Australia and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mareeba Airfield (MRG), Mareeba, Queensland, Australia and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,871 miles (or 17,496 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 Mareeba Airfield 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 Mareeba Airfield 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 Mareeba Airfield (MRG):

• In addition to being known as "Mareeba Airfield", another name for MRG is "Mareeba Airport".
• Mareeba Airfield (MRG) currently has only 1 runway.
• With the departure of the American units, Mareeba was then used by Nos 5 and 100 Squadrons, No 5 Communication Unit and a variety of Royal Australian Air Force support units, with No 24 Operational Base Unit disbanding in early 1946.
• The furthest airport from Mareeba Airfield (MRG) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,810 miles (19,007 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• The closest airport to Mareeba Airfield (MRG) is Cairns Airport (CNS), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) ENE of MRG.
• Today, the airfield hosts a museum with several World War II vintage airplanes on display in a flyable condition, and a major maintenance facility for Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• 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.
• In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established.
• 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 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• 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".
• 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.