Nonstop flight route between Valenciennes, France and Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France and Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY), Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,847 miles (or 4,581 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 Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy 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 Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy 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):

• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• It is known that Denain was used by the Royal Air Force, as it was assigned ALG "B-74".
• 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.
• 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.
• It appears that the Luftwaffe moved out of Denain in 1941 and the airfield was left unused.
• In French control after the war, the airport sat abandoned for several years.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Valenciennes-Denain Airport", another name for XVS is "(Advanced Landing Ground A-83/B-74)".
• 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.
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY):

• The closest airport to Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) is Port Hawkesbury Airport (YPS), which is located 72 miles (117 kilometers) WSW of YQY.
• On 27 July 2009 Sydney Airport was renamed after John Alexander Douglas McCurdy, who was a Canadian aviation pioneer who first flew the Silver Dart, holder of Canada's first pilot's license and a Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952.
• Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport (YQY) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,654 miles (18,755 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport's relatively low elevation of 203 feet, planes can take off or land at Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy 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.