Nonstop flight route between Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Cortes Island, British Columbia, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States and Cortes Island Aerodrome (YCF), Cortes Island, British Columbia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,547 miles (or 4,099 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Cortes Island Aerodrome, 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport and Cortes Island Aerodrome. 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 Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL):

• 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.
• For many years WFF was home to the NSIP Sub-SEM and SEM projects.
• 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 first payload launched into orbit from Wallops Island was Explorer IX, atop a Scout rocket, on February 15, 1961.
• Since 2001, engineers at NASA Wallops Flight Facility have been developing new range technologies, systems and approaches to improve the cost and responsiveness of launch and flight test activities, within the constraints of available funding and program schedules.
• Weather measurements and predictions are critical to all Research Airport operations, rocket and balloon launches, and in safely conducting hazardous operations on the ground.
• 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.

Facts about Cortes Island Aerodrome (YCF):

• The closest airport to Cortes Island Aerodrome (YCF) is Campbell River Water Aerodrome (YHH), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) W of YCF.
• The furthest airport from Cortes Island Aerodrome (YCF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,657 miles (17,151 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Cortes Island Aerodrome (YCF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Cortes Island Aerodrome", another name for YCF is "CCI9".
• Because of Cortes Island Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 164 feet, planes can take off or land at Cortes Island Aerodrome 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.