Nonstop flight route between Reading, Pennsylvania, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Reading Regional Airport (RDG), Reading, Pennsylvania, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,484 miles (or 5,607 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 Reading Regional Airport 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 Reading Regional Airport 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 Reading Regional Airport (RDG):

• On 1 June 1944 the 309th Air Base Squadron was re-designated the 85th Army Air Force Base Unit.
• The closest airport to Reading Regional Airport (RDG) is Heritage Field (PTW), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) ESE of RDG.
• In addition to being known as "Reading Regional Airport", another name for RDG is "Carl A. Spaatz FieldReading Army Airfield".
• Reading Regional Airport (RDG) has 2 runways.
• Because of Reading Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 344 feet, planes can take off or land at Reading Regional 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.
• Aircraft used for training were the Curtiss O-52 Owl.
• The furthest airport from Reading Regional Airport (RDG) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,683 miles (18,802 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum is located at Reading Airport.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• 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.
• 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 closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, which continued until 1977.
• On 14 January 2004, the 420th Air Base Group was established at RAF Fairford to improve the control of its geographically separated units that had been aligned beneath the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall.
• Due to RAF Fairford's location and infrastructure, the airfield is designated as a forward operating location for the US Air Force.
• 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.