Nonstop flight route between Show Low, Arizona, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Show Low Regional Airport (SOW), Show Low, Arizona, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,450 miles (or 7,162 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 Show Low Regional 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 Show Low Regional 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 Show Low Regional Airport (SOW):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 5,325 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 4,470 enplanements in 2009, and 3,080 in 2010.
• Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) is Taylor Airport (TYZ), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) NNW of SOW.
• Because of Show Low Regional Airport's high elevation of 6,415 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SOW. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SOW a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Show Low Regional Airport (SOW) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,355 miles (18,274 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• During the Portuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.
• 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.
• In 1947, the Portuguese Esquadra 41 started to operate from Lajes, equipped with Boeing SB-17, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Douglas C-54 Skymaster and, later Sikorsky H-19.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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 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".