Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Jack Edwards Airport (GUF), Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,435 miles (or 5,529 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 Jack Edwards 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 Lajes Air Base and Jack Edwards 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 Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Portuguese Air Force continues to operate one SAR squadron Esq.
• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• The civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover.
• During World War II, the designation of the airfield was changed to Air Base No.4 and the Portuguese government expanded the runway, sending troops and equipment to Terceira, including Gloster Gladiator fighters.
• In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• On 1 December 1943, British and U.S.
• Recently, in August 2010, Portuguese news agencies advised for the termination of the F-22 Raptor plan to use Lajes as a platform for DACT training over the Atlantic Ocean.
• 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 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".
• 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 Jack Edwards Airport (GUF):

• In addition to being known as "Jack Edwards Airport", another name for GUF is "JKA".
• Because of Jack Edwards Airport's relatively low elevation of 17 feet, planes can take off or land at Jack Edwards 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.
• Jack Edwards Airport (GUF) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Jack Edwards Airport (GUF) is NOLF Barin (NHX), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) NNE of GUF.
• The furthest airport from Jack Edwards Airport (GUF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,153 miles (17,950 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Jack Edwards Airport was originally an outlying field for Naval Air Station Pensacola.