Nonstop flight route between Torrance, California, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip (TOA), Torrance, California, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,869 miles (or 7,837 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 Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip 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 Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip 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 Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip (TOA):

• Because of Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip's relatively low elevation of 103 feet, planes can take off or land at Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip 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 closest airport to Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip (TOA) is Compton/Woodley Airport (CPM), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) NE of TOA.
• Zamperini Field is the home of Robinson Helicopter Company.
• Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip (TOA) has 2 runways.
• The airport, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the state and once known as Torrance Municipal Airport, was renamed for local sports and war hero Louis Zamperini.
• The furthest airport from Zamperini FieldLomita Landing Strip (TOA) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,494 miles (18,498 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of 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".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.