Nonstop flight route between Rennes, France and Detroit, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS), Rennes, France and Willow Run Airport (YIP) (YIP), Detroit, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,814 miles (or 6,138 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 Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport and Willow Run Airport (YIP), 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 Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport and Willow Run Airport (YIP). 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 Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS):

• The furthest airport from Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (meaning Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,048 miles (19,390 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport", another name for RNS is "Aéroport de Rennes – Saint-JacquesAdvanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-27".
• Under American control, the 362d Fighter Group operated P-47 Thunderbolts from the airport from 10 August though 19 September.
• Because of Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport's relatively low elevation of 124 feet, planes can take off or land at Rennes–Saint-Jacques 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.
• It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 7 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign.
• Due to the raising traffic in the Nantes Atlantique Airport, there is now an ongoing regional project to build a second large airport between Rennes and Nantes that will service both cities.
• Rennes was attacked by Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on 9 January 1944, and was overflown on several night leaflet drops during the spring of 1944.
• The main runway can be used by planes with up to around 180 passengers, and it is best fitted for middle-range flights.
• The combat units moved out by the end of September and Rennes Airport was used as a supply and maintenance depot for American aircraft for several months, before being returned to French civil control on 30 November 1944.
• The closest airport to Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) is Dinard–Pleurtuit–Saint-Malo Airport (DNR), which is located 39 miles (63 kilometers) NNW of RNS.
• Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) has 3 runways.

Facts about Willow Run Airport (YIP) (YIP):

• While the planes were being serviced and made ready for overseas movement, personnel for these planes were also being processed.
• Willow Run Airport (YIP) (YIP) has 4 runways.
• The closest airport to Willow Run Airport (YIP) (YIP) is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) E of YIP.
• The furthest airport from Willow Run Airport (YIP) (YIP) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,276 miles (18,147 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Willow Run Airport has four runways, a continuously staffed FAA control tower, and US Customs operations.
• Because of Willow Run Airport (YIP)'s relatively low elevation of 716 feet, planes can take off or land at Willow Run Airport (YIP) 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 Willow Run bomber plant had many problems at startup, due in part to the mindsets and technical skills of both management and labor, who were each accustomed to the requirements of auto production, finding it difficult at first to adapt to the higher precision required in aircraft production.
• Almost all of Detroit's scheduled airline flights used Willow Run until 1958, when the coming of the Jet Age drove traffic to the Romulus airfield, which had that year been renamed Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and offered carriers the promise of more efficient and modern operations, with a brand-new terminal designed for the new aircraft, a newly expanded runway configuration and state-of-the-art approach controls that made it the first inland airport in the country certified for commercial jet operations.