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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield (TGE), Tuskegee, Alabama, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,268 miles (or 5,260 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 Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield and Lajes Air Base, 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 Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield and Lajes Air Base. 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 Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield (TGE):

• The first class of African-American aviation cadets entered the second phase of military flight training at Tuskegee AAF on 8 November 1941, under military instructors.
• In 1976, an attempt was made to reuse the abandoned base as an oil refinery, but this did not work out.
• The Air Field was designed by the African American architect Hilyard Robinson and built in 1941.
• Aircraft used at Tuskegee during World War II included the PT-17 biplane primary trainer, BT-13 monoplane basic trainer, AT-6 Texan advanced trainer, and P-40 Warhawk.
• The furthest airport from Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield (TGE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,228 miles (18,070 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 253 feet, planes can take off or land at Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield 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 March 1943 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart labeled the airfield as “Tuskegee Army Flying School”, and indicated that the field had a control tower.
• In addition to being known as "Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield", another name for TGE is "AL73".
• Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield (TGE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Sharpe FieldTuskegee Army Airfield (TGE) is Auburn University Regional Airport (AUO), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) ENE of TGE.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Portugal has explored contingencies in the event the United States military eventually abandons Lajes, including the possibility of entering an agreement with the People's Republic of China.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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".