Nonstop flight route between Crestview, Florida, United States and Valenciennes, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3 (EGI), Crestview, Florida, United States and Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,621 miles (or 7,438 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 Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3 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 Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3 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 Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3 (EGI):

• In 1960 and 1961, in preparation for the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Duke Field was host to 'sanitized' Douglas C-54s and Curtiss C-46s used for transporting personnel, armaments and supplies between US bases such as Homestead AFB and Opa-locka Airport and CIA-run bases in Guatemala and latterly Nicaragua.
• A large hump-backed steel hangar, the "Butler Hangar", 160 feet X 130 feet, transported from Trinidad, was erected at Auxiliary Field 3 between 1 April and ~10 July 1950, by personnel of Company 'C', 806th Aviation Engineering Battalion, under Captain Samuel M.
• The closest airport to Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3 (EGI) is Bob Sikes Airport (CEW), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) N of EGI.
• Six original Raiders were present at Duke Field, on Saturday 31 May 2008 for the culmination of their annual reunion.
• In addition to being known as "Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3", another name for EGI is "Duke Field".
• The furthest airport from Duke FieldEglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #3 (EGI) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,172 miles (17,980 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Although technically part of the larger nearby Eglin Air Force Base complex, today Duke Field is essentially a small air force base in its own right.

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.
• After the construction of a military airfield at Denain, the airfield was reactivated by the Luftwaffe, stationing Jagdgeschwader 3, a day fighter-interceptor unit assigned to the "Defense of the Reich" campaign against the American Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attacking targets in Occupied Europe and Germany.
• In addition to being known as "Valenciennes-Denain Airport", another name for XVS is "(Advanced Landing Ground A-83/B-74)".
• It was seized by the Germans in late May 1940 during the early part of the Battle of France.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.