Nonstop flight route between Valenciennes, France and Sacramento, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France and Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC), Sacramento, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,449 miles (or 8,770 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 Sacramento Executive 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 Sacramento Executive 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):

• 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.
• C-47 Skytrain transports moved in and out of the American controlled airfield almost immediately after the runway was repaired, supplying the front line forces with the necessary materiel to support their advance.
• In response to the interceptor attacks, Denain was attacked by USAAF Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauder medium bombers and P-47 Thunderbolts mostly with 500-pound General-Purpose bombs.
• In French control after the war, the airport sat abandoned for several years.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Valenciennes-Denain Airport", another name for XVS is "(Advanced Landing Ground A-83/B-74)".
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Denain Airport began as a pre-World War II airport in France, most likely with a grass runway and several support buildings and a hangar.
• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• 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.

Facts about Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC):

• The closest airport to Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC) is Sacramento Mather Airport (MHR), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) ENE of SAC.
• Sacramento Executive Airport is a public airport three miles south of downtown Sacramento, in Sacramento County, California.
• On September 24, 1972 a former military Canadair Sabre Mk.
• When it opened in 1930 Executive Airport was known as Sutterville Aerodrome.
• The furthest airport from Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,287 miles (18,165 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC) has 3 runways.
• A memorial was constructed at the crash site and dedicated in March 2003.
• Because of Sacramento Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at Sacramento Executive 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.
• In October 1967 the airlines moved to the new Sacramento Metropolitan Airport and Sacramento Municipal Airport was renamed Sacramento Executive Airport.