Nonstop flight route between Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC), Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,730 miles (or 6,002 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 Ponca City Regional 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 Ponca City Regional 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 Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC):

• Pilot training at the airfield apparently ended on May 30, 1944, with the reduced demand for new pilots.
• The closest airport to Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Earl Henry Airport (BWL), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) WNW of PNC.
• In November 1942, Royal Air Force training ended at Miami and the airfield became a primary pilot training airfield assigned to AAF Flying Training Command, Gulf Coast Training Center.
• Airline flights began in the 1930s, on Braniff.
• Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) currently has only 1 runway.
• Ponca City Regional Airport is a city-owned airport two miles northwest of Ponca City, in Kay County, Oklahoma.Enrique's is a well known Mexican restaurant in the terminal.
• The furthest airport from Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,773 miles (17,338 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• 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.
• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• In 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.