Nonstop flight route between Bonthe, Sierra Leone and Valenciennes, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sherbro International Airport (BTE), Bonthe, Sierra Leone and Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,097 miles (or 4,984 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 Sherbro International Airport and Valenciennes-Denain Airport, 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 Sherbro International Airport and Valenciennes-Denain Airport. 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 Sherbro International Airport (BTE):

• Because of Sherbro International Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Sherbro International 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.
• The closest airport to Sherbro International Airport (BTE) is Gbangbatok Airport (GBK), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) NNE of BTE.
• The furthest airport from Sherbro International Airport (BTE) is Ulawa Airport (RNA), which is nearly antipodal to Sherbro International Airport (meaning Sherbro International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ulawa Airport), and is located 12,028 miles (19,357 kilometers) away in Arona, Ulawa Island, Solomon Islands.
• Sherbro International Airport (BTE) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS):

• The wartime air base is still evident with the 5500' concrete NE/SW runway remaining, complete with patched bomb craters and expansion joints allowing grass to grow between the concrete pads.
• Because of Valenciennes-Denain Airport's relatively low elevation of 177 feet, planes can take off or land at Valenciennes-Denain 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.
• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• In addition to being known as "Valenciennes-Denain Airport", another name for XVS is "(Advanced Landing Ground A-83/B-74)".
• C-47 Skytrain transports moved in and out of the American controlled airfield almost immediately after the runway was repaired, supplying the front line forces with the necessary materiel to support their advance.
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Reconstruction of the airport included an entirely new asphalt runway, aligned 11/29, along with appropriate taxiways, ramp space and new infrastructure buildings on the north-west side of the airfield.
• It appears that the Luftwaffe moved out of Denain in 1941 and the airfield was left unused.
• It is known that Denain was used by the Royal Air Force, as it was assigned ALG "B-74".
• The furthest airport from Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,987 miles (19,291 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.