Nonstop flight route between Ruislip, England, United Kingdom and Santa Maria, Portugal:
Departure Airport:
(51°33'11"N by 0°25'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(36°58'26"N by 25°10'15"W)
Distance from NHT to SMA:
1,572.29 miles (2,530.35 km)
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- About this route
- NHT Airport Information
- SMA Airport Information
- Facts about NHT
- Facts about SMA
- Map of Nearest Airports to NHT
- List of Nearest Airports to NHT
- Map of Furthest Airports from NHT
- List of Furthest Airports from NHT
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMA
- List of Nearest Airports to SMA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMA
- List of Furthest Airports from SMA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Northolt (NHT), Ruislip, England, United Kingdom and Santa Maria Airport (SMA), Santa Maria, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,572 miles (or 2,530 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 relatively short distance between RAF Northolt and Santa Maria Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | NHT / EGWU |
| Airport Name: | RAF Northolt |
| Location: | Ruislip, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°33'11"N by 0°25'5"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from NHT |
| More Information: | NHT Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMA / LPAZ |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Santa Maria, Portugal |
| GPS Coordinates: | 36°58'26"N by 25°10'15"W |
| Area Served: | Vila do Porto |
| Operator/Owner: | Government of Portugal |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 308 feet (94 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SMA |
| More Information: | SMA Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Northolt (NHT):
- In December 1946, after taking off during a heavy snowstorm, a Douglas DC-3 operated by British European Airways, flying from Northolt to Glasgow, crashed onto the roof of a house in South Ruislip.
- The closest airport to RAF Northolt (NHT) is London Heathrow Airport (LHR), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) SSW of NHT.
- In 1916, No. 43 Squadron was formed under the command of Major Sholto Douglas.
- The furthest airport from RAF Northolt (NHT) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,871 miles (19,105 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Civil flights ceased when the central area at Heathrow opened in 1954 with Northolt reverting to sole military use in May that year.
- The remains of a Hawker Hurricane flown by Flying Officer Ludwik Witold Paszkiewicz, the first pilot in No. 303 Squadron to shoot down an enemy aircraft, were donated to the station in June 2008.
Facts about Santa Maria Airport (SMA):
- It was built in the context of the Second World War, by US troops in order to maintain supply lines to Europe, and inaugurated on 26 July 1945.
- The closest airport to Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is João Paulo II Airport (PDL), which is located 60 miles (97 kilometers) NNW of SMA.
- The airport at Santa Maria was part of a larger complex of buildings and infrastructures constructed in the 20th century.
- Santa Maria Airport (SMA) currently has only 1 runway.
- Santa Maria Airport handled 93,436 passengers last year.
- In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Airport", another name for SMA is "Aeroporto de Santa Maria".
- Because of Santa Maria Airport's relatively low elevation of 308 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria Airport (SMA) is Moruya Airport (MYA), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Maria Airport (meaning Santa Maria Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Moruya Airport), and is located 12,166 miles (19,579 kilometers) away in Moruya, New South Wales, Australia.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 5.54 miles (8.91 km) SSW | London Heathrow Airport (LHR) | London, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 16.36 miles (26.33 km) NNE | Hatfield Aerodrome (HTF) | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 18.69 miles (30.08 km) WNW | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 20.62 miles (33.19 km) E | London City Airport (LCY) | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 22.33 miles (35.93 km) N | London Luton Airport (LTN) | Luton (near London), England, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 24.34 miles (39.17 km) SW | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 24.66 miles (39.68 km) SW | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 24.75 miles (39.84 km) SE | London Biggin Hill Airport (BQH) | Biggin Hill / London, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 26.37 miles (42.44 km) SSE | Redhill Aerodrome (KRH) | Redhill, Surrey, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 29.41 miles (47.34 km) W | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 29.66 miles (47.74 km) SSE | Gatwick Airport (LGW) | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 31.57 miles (50.81 km) SW | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 36.17 miles (58.21 km) NE | London Stansted Airport (STN) | Essex (near London), England, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 36.65 miles (58.98 km) SW | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 36.68 miles (59.02 km) NNW | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,871.18 miles (19,104.77 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,859.82 miles (19,086.49 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,837.81 miles (19,051.06 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,828.15 miles (19,035.52 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,815.57 miles (19,015.27 km) ESE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,804.71 miles (18,997.79 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,797.07 miles (18,985.49 km) SE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,796.47 miles (18,984.54 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,790.50 miles (18,974.92 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,767.29 miles (18,937.57 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,765.63 miles (18,934.90 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,750.82 miles (18,911.07 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,746.58 miles (18,904.24 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,743.23 miles (18,898.85 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,722.72 miles (18,865.85 km) SE | Fox Glacier Aerodrome (FGL) | Fox Glacier, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 60.44 miles (97.26 km) NNW | João Paulo II Airport (PDL) | Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal | |
| 2 | 161.94 miles (260.61 km) NW | Lajes Air Base (TER) | Lajes, Azores, Portugal | |
| 3 | 209.34 miles (336.90 km) WNW | Pico Airport (PIX) | Pico Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 4 | 213.54 miles (343.67 km) NW | Graciosa Airport (GRW) | Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 5 | 221.17 miles (355.94 km) WNW | Horta International Airport (HOR) | Horta, Azores, Portugal | |
| 6 | 366.19 miles (589.32 km) WNW | Flores Airport (FLW) | Flores Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 7 | 371.97 miles (598.63 km) WNW | Corvo Airport (CVU) | Corvo Island, Azores, Portugal | |
| 8 | 560.01 miles (901.25 km) ESE | Madeira Airport (FNC) | Funchal, Madeira, Portugal | |
| 9 | 566.98 miles (912.46 km) ESE | Porto Santo Airport (PXO) | Porto Santo, Madeira, Portugal | |
| 10 | 719.25 miles (1,157.51 km) SE | La Palma Airport (SPC) | La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 11 | 771.87 miles (1,242.20 km) SE | La Gomera Airport (GMZ) | Alajeró / San Sebastián, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 12 | 778.68 miles (1,253.16 km) SE | Tenerife North Airport (TFN) | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 13 | 793.97 miles (1,277.77 km) SE | Tenerife-South Airport (TFS) | Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 14 | 844.99 miles (1,359.87 km) SE | Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) | Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| 15 | 869.00 miles (1,398.51 km) SE | Lanzarote Airport (ACE) | Arrecife, Canary Islands, Spain | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,166.03 miles (19,579.28 km) ESE | Moruya Airport (MYA) | Moruya, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 2 | 12,164.68 miles (19,577.11 km) E | Merimbula Airport (MIM) | Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 3 | 12,155.61 miles (19,562.50 km) SE | Illawarra Regional Airport (WOL) | Shellharbour, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 4 | 12,143.59 miles (19,543.17 km) SE | Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport (SYD) | Mascot (near Sydney), Australia | |
| 5 | 12,135.02 miles (19,529.37 km) SE | Bankstown Airport (BWU) | Bankstown (near Sydney), New South Wales, Australia | |
| 6 | 12,128.04 miles (19,518.13 km) SE | Camden Aerodrome (CDU) | Camden, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 7 | 12,113.81 miles (19,495.24 km) ESE | Goulburn Airport (GUL) | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 8 | 12,112.40 miles (19,492.97 km) SE | Belmont Airport (BEO) | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 9 | 12,102.07 miles (19,476.35 km) ESE | Canberra Airport (CBR) | Canberra, Australia | |
| 10 | 12,101.93 miles (19,476.12 km) SSE | Newcastle Airport (NTL) | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 11 | 12,086.58 miles (19,451.41 km) SE | Cessnock Airport (CES) | Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 12 | 12,086.22 miles (19,450.83 km) SSE | Maitland Airport (MTL) | Maitland, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 13 | 12,054.69 miles (19,400.10 km) SE | Bathurst Airport (BHS) | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia | |
| 14 | 12,047.90 miles (19,389.17 km) E | Corryong Airport (CYG) | Corryong, Victoria, Australia | |
| 15 | 12,038.04 miles (19,373.30 km) SSE | Port Macquarie Airport (PQQ) | Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia | |