Nonstop flight route between Savannah, Georgia (near Hilton Head, South Carolina), United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), Savannah, Georgia (near Hilton Head, South Carolina), United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,036 miles (or 4,886 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 Savannah / Hilton Head International 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 Savannah / Hilton Head International 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 Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV):

• The closest airport to Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is Hunter Army Airfield (SVN), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) SSE of SAV.
• Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) has 2 runways.
• The airport serves as world headquarters for Gulfstream Aerospace.
• The Airport is patrolled by the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport Police, who work alongside the TSA to provide airport security.
• The furthest airport from Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,485 miles (18,484 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Savannah / Hilton Head International Airport's relatively low elevation of 50 feet, planes can take off or land at Savannah / Hilton Head International 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.
• Some 3,680 feet from the west end of Runway 10 are two concrete grave markers.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• Recently, in August 2010, Portuguese news agencies advised for the termination of the F-22 Raptor plan to use Lajes as a platform for DACT training over the Atlantic Ocean.
• 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".
• 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.
• 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.
• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for 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.