Nonstop flight route between Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Zephyrhills, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal and Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,206 miles (or 5,160 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 Zephyrhills Municipal 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 Zephyrhills Municipal 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.
• The base also supports other NATO and non-NATO armed forces assets crossing the Atlantic for transport, VIP, exercise, relief or humanitarian duties.
• The United States and the United Kingdom transferred control of Lajes to Portugal in 1946.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• On January 31, 1951, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster operated by the Portuguese Air Force crashed into the sea while approaching Lajes Field, having taken off from Lisbon, Portugal, killing all 14 on board.
• 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".

Facts about Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH):

• Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) has 2 runways.
• On March 23, 2013, two skydivers of Skydive City, instructor, Orvar Arnarson, 41, and student Andrimar Pordarson, 25 were found dead after parachutes did not deploy.
• The furthest airport from Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,456 miles (18,437 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH) is Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) SSE of ZPH.
• Because of Zephyrhills Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 90 feet, planes can take off or land at Zephyrhills Municipal 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.
• This airport has a long history of skydiving, possibly the longest continuous history of skydiving at any U.S.
• Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Pasco County, Florida, United States.