Nonstop flight route between Istres, France and Bullhead City, Arizona, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE), Istres, France and Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP), Bullhead City, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,804 miles (or 9,340 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 Laughlin/Bullhead International 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 Istres-Le Tubé Air Base and Laughlin/Bullhead International 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 Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE):

• 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.
• 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.
• The base also hosts a helicopter squadron and a large repair and training facility.
• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base is a large multi-role tasked French Air Force base located near Istres, northwest of Marseille, France.
• 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.
• The airfield was designated by the Americans as Istres/Le Tubé Airfield or Advanced Landing Ground Y-17.
• Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Sometime after World War II, until May 1958 Base Aérienne 125 was host to the Royal Air Force Liaison Party, that serviced transient British and Commonwealth military aircraft staging to and from the United Kingdom.

Facts about Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP):

• The FAA requires there to be 1,000 feet reserved for the Runway Safety Area at each end of a runway.
• This facility is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport.
• Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport was the "Bullhead City Airport" until the 1990s, when such airlines as Air Laughlin, Vanguard Airlines, Viscount Air Services and others offered Boeing 737 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 flights from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.
• Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,365 miles (18,291 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP) is Needles AirportNeedles Army Airfield (EED), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) S of IFP.
• In 2008 the airport got a multi-million-dollar expansion and a heightened security system.
• Because of Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport's relatively low elevation of 701 feet, planes can take off or land at Laughlin/Bullhead 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.
• A rotating beacon is at the north end of the airport.