Nonstop flight route between Maxton, North Carolina, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Laurinburg-Maxton Airport (MXE), Maxton, North Carolina, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,867 miles (or 4,614 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 Laurinburg-Maxton 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 Laurinburg-Maxton 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 Laurinburg-Maxton Airport (MXE):

• In addition to being known as "Laurinburg-Maxton Airport", another name for MXE is "MEB".
• The closest airport to Laurinburg-Maxton Airport (MXE) is Mackall Army Airfield (HFF), which is located only 18 miles (30 kilometers) NNW of MXE.
• In 2006 the forward fuselage of Northwest Airline’s first 747-100 was removed from the aircraft at Maxton by Guard-Lee for installation in the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington DC.
• Laurinburg-Maxton Airport is a public use airport located three miles north of the central business district of Maxton and east of Laurinburg.
• Laurinburg-Maxton Airport (MXE) has 2 runways.
• Because of Laurinburg-Maxton Airport's relatively low elevation of 220 feet, planes can take off or land at Laurinburg-Maxton 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 furthest airport from Laurinburg-Maxton Airport (MXE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,610 miles (18,685 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Despite NATO and non-NATO fighter and transport planes which continue to use Lajes on a regular basis, the US DoD movements are now at an all time low.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.
• 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.
• In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established.
• 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.
• 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.