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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), Mobile, Alabama, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,453 miles (or 5,557 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 Mobile Regional 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 Mobile Regional 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):

• By 1943, the British and American armed forces were allowed basing rights in Portugal, and the Royal Air Force took over Lajes Field as RAF Station Lajes.
• On 1 December 1943, British and U.S.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Civilian operators may use Terceira Airport/Lajes Air Base after requesting a landing permit according to the rules inscribed in the AIP for Portugal, issued by the Portuguese Directorate of Civilian Aviation.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In the summer of 1984, Lajes undertook a new mission known as "SILK PURSE." Boeing EC-135s began operating out of Lajes Field as an airborne command post for the U.S.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.

Facts about Mobile Regional Airport (MOB):

• The closest airport to Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) is Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) ESE of MOB.
• Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) has 2 runways.
• Southern Airways also served Mobile.
• In 2010 Northwest Airlines merged into Delta Air Lines.
• The Army used this airport as a basic pilot training airfield, under contract to Waterman Airlines.
• One of the first airlines besides Eastern to serve Mobile was Capital Airlines with flights to Atlanta, Birmingham, AL, New Orleans, New York-Newark, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
• American Airlines served Mobile with Boeing 727-200s in the mid 1980s.
• The furthest airport from Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,118 miles (17,893 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Because of Mobile Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 219 feet, planes can take off or land at Mobile Regional 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.
• In addition to being known as "Mobile Regional Airport", other names for MOB include "Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile" and "(former Bates Army Airfield)".