Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Salt Lake City, Utah, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,319 miles (or 6,951 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 Salt Lake City International 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 Salt Lake City International 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):

• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• 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.
• Lajes supported the large airlift during the Gulf War.
• During the Portuguese Colonial War, from 1961 to 1975, the Air Force Hospital at Lajes operated as the main centre for treatment and rehabilitation of mutilated and heavy burned soldiers of the three services of the Portuguese Armed Forces.
• 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 Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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 Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC):

• The furthest airport from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,958 miles (17,635 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) has 4 runways.
• In 1925 the postal service began awarding contracts to private companies.
• The Utah Air National Guard operates Salt Lake City Air National Guard Base on the east side of the airport.
• The airport handled 156,319 metric tonnes of cargo in 2008.
• Salt Lake City International Airport handled 20,102,078 passengers last year.
• Recently the airport has upgraded its access roads and parking facilities in preparation for a new terminal.
• As air travel became more popular and the United States Air Force established a base at the airport during World War II, a third runway was added.
• The closest airport to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is Skypark Airport (BTF), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) NNE of SLC.
• Because of Salt Lake City International Airport's high elevation of 4,227 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SLC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SLC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.