Nonstop flight route between Temple, Texas, United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL), Temple, Texas, United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,919 miles (or 6,308 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 Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport 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 Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport 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 Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL):

• Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport covers an area of 922 acres at an elevation of 682 feet above mean sea level.
• In July 1942, the United States Army Air Forces acquired pasture land and began construction of Temple Army Airfield.
• In addition to being known as "Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport", another name for TPL is "(former Temple Army Airfield)".
• Temple AAF was a sub-base of Waco Army Airfield and was used as a basic flying school by the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Gulf Training Center.
• With the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the City of Temple, which closed "Temple Municipal Airport," and renamed Temple Army Airfield "Draughon-Miller" in honor of two Temple fliers who had died in World War II.
• Because of Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 682 feet, planes can take off or land at Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional 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.
• The furthest airport from Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,005 miles (17,712 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL) is Skylark Field (ILE), which is located only 17 miles (28 kilometers) WSW of TPL.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• 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.
• During World War II, the designation of the airfield was changed to Air Base No.4 and the Portuguese government expanded the runway, sending troops and equipment to Terceira, including Gloster Gladiator fighters.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• 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 1961, the Portuguese Air Force EICAP was transferred to Lajes, operating Douglas C-47, Douglas C-54 and later CASA C-212 Aviocar.
• 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 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 civilian terminal also plays an important role in support of passenger and cargo airliners, executive, corporate and private jets flying to the island or beyond as the central location in the Azores group of islands makes it an ideal spot for refuelling or stopover.
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.