Nonstop flight route between South Bend, Indiana, United States and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between South Bend International Airport (SBN), South Bend, Indiana, United States and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,836 miles (or 6,173 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 South Bend International 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 South Bend International 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 South Bend International Airport (SBN):

• Because of South Bend International Airport's relatively low elevation of 799 feet, planes can take off or land at South Bend 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.
• Frontier Airlines started flights between SBN and Denver in October 2012.
• The April 1957 OAG shows 10 weekday departures on North Central, 9 on United, 6 on Lake Central and 3 on TWA.
• The furthest airport from South Bend International Airport (SBN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,155 miles (17,952 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Runway 18/36 re-opened in 3rd quarter 2007 at a new length of 7,100 feet.
• The closest airport to South Bend International Airport (SBN) is Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (NLE), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) NNE of SBN.
• South Bend International Airport (SBN) has 3 runways.

Facts about RAF Fairford (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.
• 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.
• In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
• 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.
• KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
• 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.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.