Lajes Field

Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base, officially designated Air Base No. 4 (Base Aérea Nº 4, BA4), is a multi-use airfield, home to the Portuguese Air Force Base Aérea N º4 and Azores Air Zone Command (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 15km northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. Located about 3680km east of New York City and about 1600km west of Lisbon, Portugal; the base sits in a strategic location midway between North America and Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean.HistoryThe 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 (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.