Nonstop flight route between Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,218 miles (or 5,178 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 Shelbyville Municipal 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 Shelbyville Municipal 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 Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI):

• In addition to being known as "Shelbyville Municipal Airport", another name for SYI is "Bomar Field".
• The furthest airport from Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,211 miles (18,042 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Shelbyville Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 801 feet, planes can take off or land at Shelbyville Municipal 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.
• The closest airport to Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI) is Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) SE of SYI.
• Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Today, Lajes continues to support transiting aircraft.
• 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 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• 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.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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".
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The origin of the Lajes Field dates back to 1928, when Portuguese Army Lieutenant colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva wrote a report on the possible construction of an airfield in the plainland of Lajes, for that branch's aviation service.