Nonstop flight route between Fresno, California, United States and Leiden, Netherlands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), Fresno, California, United States and Valkenburg Naval Air Base (LID), Leiden, Netherlands would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,433 miles (or 8,743 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Valkenburg Naval 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Valkenburg Naval 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT):

• A US$30 million construction project is under way to widen, lengthen and strengthen secondary runway 11R/29L with scheduled completion in October 2012.
• Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) has 2 runways.
• Other jet airlines that served Fresno in the past included Pacific Air Lines with Boeing 727-100s, Hughes Airwest with Douglas DC-9-10 and DC-9-30s, Pacific Southwest Airlines with Boeing 727-100, 727-200, 737-200 and McDonnell Douglas MD80s, Western Airlines with Boeing 727-200, 737-200 and 737-300s, Delta Air Lines with Boeing 727-200 and 737-300s, the original Frontier Airlines with Boeing 737-200s, Continental Airlines with Boeing 737-200 and 737-300s, AirCal with Boeing 737-200s, Morris Air with Boeing 737-300s and Pacific Express with BAC One-Elevens.
• Because of Fresno Yosemite International Airport's relatively low elevation of 336 feet, planes can take off or land at Fresno Yosemite 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 Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) is Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) WSW of FAT.
• The furthest airport from Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,330 miles (18,234 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Fresno Yosemite International Airport handled 569,879 passengers last year.
• Direct international service from Fresno ended when Mexicana ceased operations in August 2010 to Guadalajara International Airport, Mexico.
• In 1995 the airport's name was changed to attract out-of-state and international visitors to Yosemite National Park.
• The vast majority of air traffic in and out of the airport is private aircraft.

Facts about Valkenburg Naval Air Base (LID):

• The furthest airport from Valkenburg Naval Air Base (LID) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,858 miles (19,084 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Valkenburg Naval Air Base (LID) has 2 runways.
• Because of Valkenburg Naval Air Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Valkenburg Naval 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.
• Construction of the air base was commenced in 1939, but not completed before the start of the Second World War.
• In addition to being known as "Valkenburg Naval Air Base", another name for LID is "Vliegkamp Valkenburg".
• The closest airport to Valkenburg Naval Air Base (LID) is Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM), which is located only 15 miles (23 kilometers) S of LID.
• A Zeppelin NT at Valkenburg
• Valkenburg Naval Air Base is a former air base located just south of Valkenburg, which is part of Katwijk and close to the city of Leiden, that was used by the Royal Netherlands Navy up until 2006, being their base for the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft.