Lajes Air Base

Lajes Field Base Aérea das Lajes Base Aérea Nº 4 Aeroporto das Lajes
Lajes Field, as seen from the southeast coast of the island of Terceira
IATA: TER ICAO: LPLA
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Portuguese Air Force
Operator	Portuguese Air Force
Serves	Praia da Vitória/Angra do Heroísmo
Location	Lajes
Built	1943
Commander	Colonel Tito Mendonça
Occupants	Comando da Zona Aérea dos Açores Base Aérea Nº 4 65th Air Base Wing 170 US Military personnel and family members Lajes Search and Rescue Coordination Centre Aerogare civil das Lajes (Civilian Operations Terminal) SATA Air Açores Aeroclube da Ilha Terceira Light aircraft private operators
Elevation AMSL	55 m / 180 ft
Coordinates	38°45′43″N 027°05′27″W / 38.76194°N 27.09083°W / 38.76194; -27.09083Coordinates: 38°45′43″N 027°05′27″W / 38.76194°N 27.09083°W / 38.76194; -27.09083
Map
TER Location of Lajes Field in the Azores
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 15/33 3,314 10,873 Asphalt
Source: Portuguese AIP

Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base (pronounced: [ˈlaʒɨʒ]; Portuguese: Base Aérea das Lajes), officially designated Air Base No. 4 (Base Aérea Nº 4, BA4) (IATA: TER, ICAO: LPLA), is a multi-use airfield, home to the Portuguese Air Force Base Aérea N º4 and Azores Air Zone Command (Portuguese: Comando da Zona Aérea dos Açores), a United States Air Force detachment unit (operated by the 65th Air Base Group of United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa), and a regional air passenger terminal located near Lajes and 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. Located about 3,680 km (2,290 mi) east of New York City and about 1,600 km (990 mi) west of Lisbon, Portugal; the base sits in a strategic location midway between North America and Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean.

The origin of the Lajes Field dates back to 1928, when Portuguese Army Lieutenant colonel Eduardo Gomes da Silva wrote a report on the possible construction of an airfield in the plainland of Lajes, for that branch's aviation service (Portuguese: Aeronáutica Militar). However, the location of Achada on the island of São Miguel was chosen instead at the time for the construction of the field. In 1934, the Achada airfield was condemned due to its inadequate dimensions and adverse weather conditions, resulting in the construction of a landing strip of packed earth and a small group of support facilities by the Portuguese military at Lajes.