Nonstop flight route between Hattiesburg/Laurel, Mississippi, United States and Istres, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport (PIB), Hattiesburg/Laurel, Mississippi, United States and Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE), Istres, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,957 miles (or 7,977 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 Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport and Istres-Le Tubé 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 Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport and Istres-Le Tubé 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 Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport (PIB):

• The furthest airport from Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport (PIB) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,048 miles (17,780 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport (PIB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 298 feet, planes can take off or land at Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional 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.
• With its close proximity to the University of Southern Mississippi, the airport sees a great deal of larger charter airliners like the A320 and B737 transporting teams to and from athletic events.
• The airport's IATA code refers to its former name, Pine Belt Regional Airport.
• Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport covers an area of 1,170 acres at an elevation of 298 feet above mean sea level.
• The closest airport to Hattiesburg–Laurel Regional Airport (PIB) is Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport (HBG), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SSE of PIB.
• In late 2011 the airport begin an extensive refurbishment of the main terminal building.
• Hattiesburg is halfway between Mississippi's two major airports – Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport and Jackson–Evers International Airport.

Facts about Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE):

• The main USAAF use of Istres was by the 64th Troop Carrier Group, which operated C-47 Skytrain transports from the airfield from September to November 1944.
• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base is a large multi-role tasked French Air Force base located near Istres, northwest of Marseille, France.
• The furthest airport from Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (meaning Istres-Le Tubé Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,364 miles (19,898 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) is Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) ESE of QIE.
• Base aérienne 125 Istres Advanced Landing Ground Y-17
• In addition to being known as "Istres-Le Tubé Air Base", another name for QIE is "Base aérienne 125 Istres (BA 125)Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) Y-17".
• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) currently has only 1 runway.
• C135FR "GRV 093 Bretagne"
• Secondary users occasionally include the United States Air Force, during Allied operations engaging United States and France.
• With the end of the war, the Americans used Istres as a staging point between Occupied Germany and Morocco for air transport of personnel back to the United States.
• Because of Istres-Le Tubé Air Base's relatively low elevation of 162 feet, planes can take off or land at Istres-Le Tubé 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.
• Built prior to World War II, Istres Air Base was first used by the Armée de l'air during the early part of the war, and after the 1940 Battle of France and the June Armistice with Nazi Germany, became part of the limited air force of the Vichy Government.
• Mirage 2000 "escadron Limousin"