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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC), Sacramento, California, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,226 miles (or 8,410 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 Sacramento Executive 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 Sacramento Executive 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 Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC):

• During the airport's last summer of airline operations, the August 1967 Official Airline Guide lists 22 weekday nonstops to San Francisco, 11 to Los Angeles, seven to Reno, two to Medford, two to Marysville, and one each to Lake Tahoe, Klamath Falls and Oakland.
• Because of Sacramento Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at Sacramento Executive 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.
• Fuel is available from trucks or 24-hour self-serve credit card pumps and plenty of tie down and transient parking is available, the first six hours of which are free.
• In October 1967 the airlines moved to the new Sacramento Metropolitan Airport and Sacramento Municipal Airport was renamed Sacramento Executive Airport.
• Executive Airport has always been an asset to the Sacramento area.
• Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC) is Sacramento Mather Airport (MHR), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) ENE of SAC.
• The furthest airport from Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,287 miles (18,165 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• Fairford was chosen in 1969 as the British test centre for the Concorde aircraft, which continued until 1977.
• 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.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• 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.
• 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.
• Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England which is currently a standby airfield and therefore not in everyday use.