Nonstop flight route between Blountville, Tennessee (Tri-Cities area), United States and Lajes, Azores, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI), Blountville, Tennessee (Tri-Cities area), United States and Lajes Air Base (TER), Lajes, Azores, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,985 miles (or 4,803 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 Tri-Cities 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 Tri-Cities 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 Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI):

• The furthest airport from Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,434 miles (18,402 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• American Airlines pulled out in 1952.
• The closest airport to Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) is Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI), which is located 25 miles (41 kilometers) NE of TRI.
• Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Tri-Cities Regional Airport", another name for TRI is "Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA".
• Tri-Cities Regional Airport covers 1,225 acres at an elevation of 1,519 feet above mean sea level.

Facts about Lajes Air Base (TER):

• 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.
• 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.
• Lajes Field also played a crucial role in Cold War politics.
• 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".
• On 14 December 2012 it was announced that personnel at Lajes Field will be reduced in 2014 with a reduction of 400 military personnel and 500 family members.
• 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.