Nonstop flight route between Cherbourg, France and Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER), Cherbourg, France and NAS JRB Willow Grove (NXX), Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,516 miles (or 5,658 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 Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport and NAS JRB Willow Grove, 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 Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport and NAS JRB Willow Grove. 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 Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER):

• The 363d Fighter Group, based P-38 Lightning fighters at Maupertus from 9 July through August 1944.
• In addition to being known as "Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport", other names for CER include "Aéroport de Cherbourg - Maupertus" and "(Advanced Landing Ground A-15)".
• Charter flights occasionally operate to and from the airport.
• The closest airport to Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER) is Alderney Airport (ACI), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) W of CER.
• The furthest airport from Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,973 miles (19,269 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The fighter planes flew support missions during the Allied invasion of Normandy, patrolling roads in front of the beachhead.
• Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport (CER) currently has only 1 runway.
• In the 1950s, a modern concrete jet runway for NATO aircraft was laid down by the United States using French contractors, along with a circular marguerite system of dispersal hardstands that could be revetted later with earth for added protection.
• Because of Cherbourg - Maupertus Airport's relatively low elevation of 459 feet, planes can take off or land at Cherbourg - Maupertus 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 NAS JRB Willow Grove (NXX):

• Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove or NASJRB Willow Grove was a Naval Air Station owned by the U.S.
• NAS JRB Willow Grove (NXX) currently has only 1 runway.
• On May 28, 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure commission recommended that NAS JRB Willow Grove be closed as part of the 2005 BRAC round, that the tenant Air Force Reserve Command airlift wing be inactivated and that Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve flying units relocate to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey as tenant units.
• The furthest airport from NAS JRB Willow Grove (NXX) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,726 miles (18,871 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Final closure of NAS JRB Willow Grove occurred on September 15, 2011.
• The closest airport to NAS JRB Willow Grove (NXX) is Wings Field (BBX), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) SW of NXX.
• Because of NAS JRB Willow Grove's relatively low elevation of 335 feet, planes can take off or land at NAS JRB Willow Grove 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.