Nonstop flight route between Moulins, Allier, France and Oak Harbor, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU), Moulins, Allier, France and NAS Whidbey Island (NUW), Oak Harbor, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,123 miles (or 8,245 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 Moulins - Montbeugny Airport and NAS Whidbey Island, 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 Moulins - Montbeugny Airport and NAS Whidbey Island. 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 Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU):

• The furthest airport from Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (meaning Moulins - Montbeugny Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,248 miles (19,712 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Moulins - Montbeugny Airport", another name for XMU is "Aérodrome de Moulins - Montbeugny".
• The closest airport to Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU) is Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport (CFE), which is located 53 miles (86 kilometers) SSW of XMU.
• Because of Moulins - Montbeugny Airport's relatively low elevation of 915 feet, planes can take off or land at Moulins - Montbeugny 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.
• Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU) has 3 runways.

Facts about NAS Whidbey Island (NUW):

• In late 1993, with the pending closures of NAS Moffett Field, California and NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii additional P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft came aboard NAS Whidbey Island, along with the associated staffs of Commander, Patrol Wings, U.S.
• The furthest airport from NAS Whidbey Island (NUW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,730 miles (17,268 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• During the Korean War, patrol plane activity was stepped up again with several Naval Air Reserve units being called up and redesignated as active duty squadrons.
• Because of NAS Whidbey Island's relatively low elevation of 47 feet, planes can take off or land at NAS Whidbey Island 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.
• After World War II ended, operations slowed at war’s end and it was almost certain that NAS Whidbey Island would be earmarked for decommissioning.
• NAS Whidbey Island (NUW) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to NAS Whidbey Island (NUW) is A.J. Eisenberg Airport (ODW), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) S of NUW.
• In all, there are 17 active duty squadrons and 2 Ready Reserve squadrons currently based at NAS Whidbey Island.
• On December 8, three workers started a topographic survey of what would become Ault Field, about four miles to the north.
• At Ault Field, the earliest squadrons of aircraft were F4F Wildcats, which came aboard in 1942, followed by F6F Hellcats.
• In addition to being known as "NAS Whidbey Island", another name for NUW is "Ault Field".