Nonstop flight route between Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Detroit, Michigan, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from WAL to DET:
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- About this route
- WAL Airport Information
- DET Airport Information
- Facts about WAL
- Facts about DET
- Map of Nearest Airports to WAL
- List of Nearest Airports to WAL
- Map of Furthest Airports from WAL
- List of Furthest Airports from WAL
- Map of Nearest Airports to DET
- List of Nearest Airports to DET
- Map of Furthest Airports from DET
- List of Furthest Airports from DET
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET), Detroit, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 504 miles (or 810 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 relatively short distance between Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Coleman A. Young International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | WAL / KWAL |
| Airport Name: | Wallops Flight Facility Airport |
| Location: | Wallops Island, Virginia, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°56'24"N by 75°27'59"W |
| Elevation: | 0 feet (0 meters) |
| View all routes: | Routes from WAL |
| More Information: | WAL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | DET / KDET |
| Airport Name: | Coleman A. Young International Airport |
| Location: | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 42°24'33"N by 83°0'36"W |
| Area Served: | Detroit, Michigan |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Detroit |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 626 feet (191 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DET |
| More Information: | DET Maps & Info |
Facts about Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL):
- The first payload launched into orbit from Wallops Island was Explorer IX, atop a Scout rocket, on February 15, 1961.
- The furthest airport from Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,785 miles (18,965 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Major Wallops facilities include FAA-certified runways.
- Because of Wallops Flight Facility Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wallops Flight Facility 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 closest airport to Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Accomack County Airport (MFV), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SW of WAL.
- The Wallops Flight Facility also supports science missions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and occasionally for foreign governments and commercial organizations.
Facts about Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET):
- Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) has 2 runways.
- Because of Coleman A. Young International Airport's relatively low elevation of 626 feet, planes can take off or land at Coleman A. Young 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.
- DET was Detroit's airline airport until 1946-47 when almost all airline flights moved to Willow Run Airport.
- The closest airport to Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) is Windsor International Airport (YQG), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) SSE of DET.
- The furthest airport from Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,295 miles (18,178 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Until around 1965 the airport boasted a gas tank 330 ft tall at 42.40817N 83.00926W NAD83, less than 630 ft west of the centerline of runway 15/33.
- The airport has been listed as an asset of the City of Detroit which could be sold to cover debts as a result of the city's 2013 bankruptcy filing.
