Nonstop flight route between Valenciennes, France and Barter Island, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France and Barter Island LRRS Airport (BTI), Barter Island, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,952 miles (or 6,359 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 Valenciennes-Denain Airport and Barter Island LRRS Airport, 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 Valenciennes-Denain Airport and Barter Island LRRS Airport. 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 Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS):

• In addition to being known as "Valenciennes-Denain Airport", another name for XVS is "(Advanced Landing Ground A-83/B-74)".
• After being used for a brief time as a storage depot for excess aircraft after the war ended by Air Technical Service Command, the Americans turned the airfield back over to French authorities on 25 June 1945.
• The wartime air base is still evident with the 5500' concrete NE/SW runway remaining, complete with patched bomb craters and expansion joints allowing grass to grow between the concrete pads.
• Because of Valenciennes-Denain Airport's relatively low elevation of 177 feet, planes can take off or land at Valenciennes-Denain 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.
• After the construction of a military airfield at Denain, the airfield was reactivated by the Luftwaffe, stationing Jagdgeschwader 3, a day fighter-interceptor unit assigned to the "Defense of the Reich" campaign against the American Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attacking targets in Occupied Europe and Germany.
• In addition, a reconnaissance unit, Aufklärungsgruppe 12 was assigned to Denain in October 1940 with Henschel Hs 126 twin-seat light observation planes.
• The furthest airport from Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,987 miles (19,291 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• It appears that the Luftwaffe moved out of Denain in 1941 and the airfield was left unused.
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Barter Island LRRS Airport (BTI):

• Barter Island LRRS Airport (BTI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Barter Island LRRS Airport (BTI) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,003 miles (16,099 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• The radar station was upgraded with an AN/FPS-117 minimally attended Long Range surveillance radar in the winter of 1990.
• In addition to being known as "Barter Island LRRS Airport", another name for BTI is "Barter Island LRRS BAR-MAIN".
• Barter Island LRRS Airport is a public/military airport located near the city of Kaktovik on Barter Island, in the North Slope Borough, located 312 miles east of Point Barrow, Alaska.
• The closest airport to Barter Island LRRS Airport (BTI) is Deadhorse Airport (SCC), which is located 115 miles (184 kilometers) W of BTI.
• Each of the sites was staffed by civilian contract workers who had signed 18-month contracts, although they were visited by Air Force military personnel frequently.
• Because of Barter Island LRRS Airport's relatively low elevation of 2 feet, planes can take off or land at Barter Island LRRS 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.