Nonstop flight route between Istres, France and Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE), Istres, France and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (GSB), Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,275 miles (or 6,880 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 Istres-Le Tubé Air Base and Seymour Johnson Air Force 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 Istres-Le Tubé Air Base and Seymour Johnson Air Force 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 Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE):

• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airfield was designated by the Americans as Istres/Le Tubé Airfield or Advanced Landing Ground Y-17.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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".
• 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.

Facts about Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (GSB):

• The closest airport to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (GSB) is Kinston Regional Jetport (ISO), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) E of GSB.
• In 1974, the wing mission reverted to training, with increased emphasis on short-term European contingency support.
• In December 1957, the 83d Fighter-Day Wing was inactivated, being replaced at Seymour Johnson by the 4th Fighter-Day Wing and absorbing its assets.
• During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing forward deployed its F-105 aircraft to McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, ready to react at a moment's notice for possible combat over Cuba.
• In addition to being known as "Seymour Johnson Air Force Base", another name for GSB is "Seymour Johnson AFB".
• The furthest airport from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (GSB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,689 miles (18,811 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• At the end of World War II in Europe, Seymour Johnson was designated as a central assembly station for processing and training troops being reassigned in the continental United States and Pacific theater of operations.
• The first exclusively Reserve KC-10 crew flew out of Seymour Johnson on 29 October 1985.