Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC), Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,730 miles (or 6,002 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 Ponca City 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 Ponca City 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):

• 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".
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• In the late 1950s, USAF air refueling/tanker aircraft were stationed at Lajes to provide inflight refueling for U.S.
• 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 Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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.
• The resident Portuguese 711 Squadron "Albatrozes" was deactivated on 30 November 2006.

Facts about Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC):

• Ponca City Regional Airport is a city-owned airport two miles northwest of Ponca City, in Kay County, Oklahoma.Enrique's is a well known Mexican restaurant in the terminal.
• Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) currently has only 1 runway.
• Ponca City Regional Airport covers 500 acres at an elevation of 1,008 feet.
• The furthest airport from Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,773 miles (17,338 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Pilot training at the airfield apparently ended on May 30, 1944, with the reduced demand for new pilots.
• The closest airport to Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC) is Earl Henry Airport (BWL), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) WNW of PNC.