Nonstop flight route between North Platte, Nebraska, United States and Valenciennes, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between North Platte Regional Airport (LBF), North Platte, Nebraska, United States and Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,638 miles (or 7,464 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 North Platte Regional 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 North Platte Regional 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 North Platte Regional Airport (LBF):

• Federal Aviation Administration says the airport had 10,288 passenger enplanements in calendar year 2008, 7,924 enplanements in 2009, and 8,391 in 2010.
• North Platte Regional Airport (LBF) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from North Platte Regional Airport (LBF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,687 miles (17,200 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• United Airlines stopped at North Platte from the 1930s until Frontier took over in 1959.
• In addition to being known as "North Platte Regional Airport", another name for LBF is "Lee Bird Field".
• The closest airport to North Platte Regional Airport (LBF) is Jim Kelly Field (LXN), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) ESE of LBF.

Facts about Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS):

• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Valenciennes-Denain Airport", another name for XVS is "(Advanced Landing Ground A-83/B-74)".
• 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.
• It was seized by the Germans in late May 1940 during the early part of the Battle of France.
• It is known that Denain was used by the Royal Air Force, as it was assigned ALG "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.
• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• In French control after the war, the airport sat abandoned for several years.