Nonstop flight route between Spangdahlem, Germany and Laredo, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM), Spangdahlem, Germany and Laredo International Airport (LRD), Laredo, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,440 miles (or 8,754 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 Spangdahlem Air Base and Laredo International Airport, 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 Spangdahlem Air Base and Laredo International Airport. 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 Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM):

• The furthest airport from Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,986 miles (19,289 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Spangdahlem Air Base", another name for SPM is "Spangdahlem AB".
• The closest airport to Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM) is Bitburg Airport (BBJ), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) WSW of SPM.
• The wing supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe with mission-ready personnel and systems providing expeditionary air power.
• Upon its arrival at Spangdahlem AB, the 10 TRW operated Lockheed RF-80A Shooting Star for daylight aerial recon and the Douglas RB-26C Invader for night recon missions.
• On 1 January 1969, the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, located at nearby Bitburg Air Base, assumed operational control of Spangdahlem, becoming a dual-based wing.
• With the departure of the 49 TFW, the 7149th Air Base Group was activated to serve as a caretaker unit for a number of support organizations that remained behind after the departure of the 49 TFW.

Facts about Laredo International Airport (LRD):

• Laredo International Airport covers an area of 1,796 acres at an elevation of 508 feet above mean sea level.
• Laredo International Airport (LRD) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Laredo International Airport (LRD) is Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) SW of LRD.
• The Laredo International Airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as Laredo Army Airfield, and by the United States Air Force as Laredo Air Force Base during the Cold War as a pilot training base with T-33 Shooting Star and later T-37 Tweet and T-38 Talon aircraft.
• The airport is served by four commercial airlines.
• The furthest airport from Laredo International Airport (LRD) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,226 miles (18,066 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Because of Laredo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 508 feet, planes can take off or land at Laredo 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.
• Laredo International Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Laredo, a city in Webb County, Texas, United States.