Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base, officially designated Air Base No. 4, is a multi-use airfield near Lajes and 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. It is home to the Portuguese Air Force Base Aérea N º4 and Azores Air Zone Command, a United States Air Force detachment unit, and a regional air passenger terminal. 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.
A variety of US Air Force aircraft seen at Lajes, the airfield being used as a stop-off whilst aircraft transit between the Americas and Europe
A Vickers Wellington Mk XIV, No. 172 Squadron RAF undergoing servicing at Lajes airfield during 1944
Lajes Air Base Diagram
Aerial view of Lajes Field, 1946
Lajes is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the Portuguese island of Terceira in the Azores. The population in 2011 was 3,744, in an area of 12.11 square kilometres (4.68 sq mi). It is the second most populous parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória. It contains the localities Fundões, Caldeira, Canada da Caldeira, Canada das Fontainhas, Canada das Vinhas, Canada do Poço, Lajedo, Lajes, Picão, Rebentão and Santa Rita.
The northern portion of Lajes Airfield
A portion of the north-eastern coastline of Lajes, showing rural nature and rugged rock cliffs
