Nonstop flight route between Redding, California, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD), Redding, California, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,135 miles (or 8,263 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield and RAF Fairford, 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield and RAF Fairford. 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD):

• The closest airport to Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD) is Red Bluff Municipal Airport (RBL), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) S of RDD.
• Today the City of Redding continues to operate the airport and has started a major commercial development.
• On 1 November 1944 control of Redding AAF was transferred from the Fourth Air Force to the Sacramento Area Command of the Army Air Forces’ Air Technical Service Command headquartered at McClellan Army Airfield near Sacramento.
• Redding Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport six miles southeast of Redding in Shasta County, California.
• Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD) has 2 runways.
• Because of Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 505 feet, planes can take off or land at Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,201 miles (18,026 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.
• On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
• Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were temporarily assigned to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on rotation.
• RAF Fairford was constructed in 1944 to serve as an airfield for British and American troop carriers and gliders for the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
• The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron are responsible for the day-to-day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it has adequate resources.