Nonstop flight route between Istres, France and Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Istres-Le Tubé Air Base (QIE), Istres, France and Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI), Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,049 miles (or 6,516 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 Ulukhaktok/Holman 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 Ulukhaktok/Holman 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 airfield was designated by the Americans as Istres/Le Tubé Airfield or 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".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 31 March 1992, a Boeing 707 of Kabo Air, a Nigerian company, made an emergency landing at Istres after engines 3 and 4 had separated from the wing in turbulence at 35,000 feet.

Facts about Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI):

• Because of Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport's relatively low elevation of 117 feet, planes can take off or land at Ulukhaktok/Holman 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.
• By early 1979 the snow problem was so great that the runway was no longer a straight line.
• There is also a Type K ARCAL system.
• Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport, located at Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada was fully opened in December 1978 with the start of the Community Aerodrome Radio Station.
• The runway is the standard gravel strip that is seen in most Canadian Arctic communities and is 4,300 by 100 ft with the centre 117 ft above sea leavel.
• During the initial planning stages community consultation was held and a major concern was expressed over the runway headings.
• The closest airport to Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI) is Paulatuk (Nora Aliqatchialuk Ruben) Airport (YPC), which is located 177 miles (284 kilometers) WSW of YHI.
• The furthest airport from Ulukhaktok/Holman Airport (YHI) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 9,609 miles (15,464 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.