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):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport", another name for TPL is "(former Temple Army Airfield)".
• Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL) has 2 runways.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was established.
• Lajes provides support to 15,000 aircraft, including fighters from the US and 20 other allied nations each.
• Lajes Air Base (TER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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".
• 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 closest airport to Lajes Air Base (TER) is Graciosa Airport (GRW), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) WNW of TER.
• Another important Cold War operation at Lajes was the U.S.
• 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.
• 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.