Nonstop flight route between Vannes, France and Riverside, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Meucon Airport (VNE), Vannes, France and March Air Reserve Base (RIV), Riverside, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,500 miles (or 8,851 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 Meucon Airport and March Air Reserve 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 Meucon Airport and March Air Reserve 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 Meucon Airport (VNE):

• Because of Meucon Airport's relatively low elevation of 440 feet, planes can take off or land at Meucon 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.
• The airport was liberated by Allied ground forces about 10 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign.
• Vannes-Meucon Airport is a regional airport in France.
• In addition to being known as "Meucon Airport", another name for VNE is "Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-33".
• As the airport was in the rear area when repaired and opened, the Americans used it as a defensive field, stationing the 425th Night Fighter Squadron, flying P-61 Black Widows from 18 August though 11 September 1944 flying night air defense missions.
• Meucon Airport (VNE) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Meucon Airport (VNE) is Oamaru Airport (OAM), which is nearly antipodal to Meucon Airport (meaning Meucon Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Oamaru Airport), and is located 12,086 miles (19,450 kilometers) away in Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Meucon Airport (VNE) is Lorient South Brittany Airport (LRT), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) W of VNE.

Facts about March Air Reserve Base (RIV):

• In 1947, the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated as part of a service-wide, wing-base test and assigned to March.
• The closest airport to March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Flabob Airport (RIR), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) NW of RIV.
• The furthest airport from March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,461 miles (18,445 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 quickly brought March Field back into the business of training aircrews.
• March is one of the oldest airfields operated by the United States military, being established as Alessandro Flying Training Field in February 1918.
• By late April 1918, enough progress had been made in the construction of the new field to allow the arrival of the first troops.