Nonstop flight route between Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada and Istres, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Chilliwack Airport (YCW), Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada and Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE), Istres, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,274 miles (or 8,487 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 Chilliwack Airport and Istres-Le Tubé 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 Chilliwack Airport and Istres-Le Tubé 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 Chilliwack Airport (YCW):

• Every year in the last week of August the airport hosts an event known as the Chilliwack Flight Fest, a free air show for everyone to watch.
• The Airport Coffee Shop at the Chilliwack airport operated sporadically from the opening of the airport until it was purchased in the 1970s by Neil and Kathleen Mc Neill.
• Barb continued to operate the Airport Coffee Shop with Gord, eventually opening a second restaurant called Devan's Restaurant.
• The furthest airport from Chilliwack Airport (YCW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,666 miles (17,166 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The airport is used by private pilots and by commercial air operators.
• Chilliwack Airport (YCW) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Chilliwack Airport (YCW) is Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) WSW of YCW.
• Because of Chilliwack Airport's relatively low elevation of 32 feet, planes can take off or land at Chilliwack 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.

Facts about Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE):

• On 31 March 1992, a Boeing 707 of Kabo Air, a Nigerian company, made an emergency landing at Istres after engines 3 and 4 had separated from the wing in turbulence at 35,000 feet.
• Built prior to World War II, Istres Air Base was first used by the Armée de l'air during the early part of the war, and after the 1940 Battle of France and the June Armistice with Nazi Germany, became part of the limited air force of the Vichy Government.
• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (meaning Istres-Le Tubé Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,364 miles (19,898 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The base also hosts a helicopter squadron and a large repair and training facility.
• Secondary users occasionally include the United States Air Force, during Allied operations engaging United States and France.
• Because of Istres-Le Tubé Air Base's relatively low elevation of 162 feet, planes can take off or land at Istres-Le Tubé 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.
• In addition to being known as "Istres-Le Tubé Air Base", another name for QIE is "Base aérienne 125 Istres (BA 125)Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) Y-17".
• The closest airport to Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) is Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) ESE of QIE.
• The airfield was designated by the Americans as Istres/Le Tubé Airfield or Advanced Landing Ground Y-17.