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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV), San Jose, California, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,303 miles (or 8,535 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 Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County 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 Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County 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 Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV):

• Reid-Hillview is a general aviation airport.
• The airport was the origin for an emergency supply airlift to the Watsonville Municipal Airport following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, after mountain and coastal roads were blocked, cutting off Santa Cruz and Watsonville from relief efforts by ground.
• The furthest airport from Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,361 miles (18,283 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) has 2 runways.
• Reid-Hillview was a single runway airport until 1965, when a second runway was added.
• The closest airport to Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) is Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) WNW of RHV.
• Because of Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County's relatively low elevation of 133 feet, planes can take off or land at Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County 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.
• Groundbreaking for Reid-Hillview airport came in 1937.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, which continued until 1977.