Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ), Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 12,141 miles (or 19,539 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 Lajes Air Base and Bairnsdale Aerodrome, 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 Lajes Air Base and Bairnsdale Aerodrome. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

The distance between TER and BSJ makes them almost exactly antipodal (the exact opposite side of the world) to each other. Nonstop flights between Lajes Air Base and Bairnsdale Aerodrome would be very impractical for the airlines, because only a lightly loaded Boeing 777-200LR would be able to make the trip. Since airlines need to be able to take as many people and cargo as possible in order to make a profit, the odds of ever seeing a nonstop flight between TER and BSJ are slim to none. However, you'll still be able to get from Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia by taking some connecting flights!

Did you know that one full circling of the Earth (measuring from the equator) is about 24,901.5 miles (or 40,075 kilometers), which means if you were 12,450 miles from any given point on the planet, the distance back to your starting point would be about the same -- in any direction! The same can be said for a nonstop flight between TER and BSJ!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Lajes Field was one of the two stopover and refueling bases for the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944.
• 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.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.
• 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.

Facts about Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ):

• The closest airport to Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ) is Mount Hotham Airport (MHU), which is located 59 miles (96 kilometers) NNW of BSJ.
• The furthest airport from Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Bairnsdale Aerodrome (meaning Bairnsdale Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,308 miles (19,807 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Bairnsdale Aerodrome (BSJ) has 2 runways.
• Because of Bairnsdale Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 165 feet, planes can take off or land at Bairnsdale Aerodrome 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.