Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Hanzhong Xiguan Airport (HZG), Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,667 miles (or 10,730 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 Hanzhong Xiguan 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 Hanzhong Xiguan 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):

• In 1980, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Terceira Island.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In 2009 Lajes provided rescue support of shipping lanes across the Atlantic, a safe haven for medical or mechanical emergency situations in aircraft crossing the Atlantic, and support for the USAF's continuing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Hanzhong Xiguan Airport (HZG):

• The closest airport to Hanzhong Xiguan Airport (HZG) is Guangyuan Airport (GYS), which is located 89 miles (143 kilometers) WSW of HZG.
• During World War II, the airport was known as Hanchung Airfield and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Fourteenth Air Force as part of the China Defensive Campaign.
• The airport served as a military air base until civil services began in 1974.
• The furthest airport from Hanzhong Xiguan Airport (HZG) is Viña del Mar Airport (KNA), which is nearly antipodal to Hanzhong Xiguan Airport (meaning Hanzhong Xiguan Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Viña del Mar Airport), and is located 12,349 miles (19,873 kilometers) away in Viña del Mar, Chile.
• In addition to being known as "Hanzhong Xiguan Airport", other names for HZG include "汉中西关机场" and "Hànzhōng Xiguān Jīchǎng".