Nonstop flight route between Yakima, Washington, United States and Valenciennes, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Yakima Air Terminal (YKM), Yakima, Washington, United States and Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS), Valenciennes, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,956 miles (or 7,976 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 Yakima Air Terminal and Valenciennes-Denain 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 Yakima Air Terminal and Valenciennes-Denain 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 Yakima Air Terminal (YKM):

• This airport is in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it as a primary commercial service airport.Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 69,835 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 60,028 in 2009 and 53,832 in 2010.
• The furthest airport from Yakima Air Terminal (YKM) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,797 miles (17,377 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Yakima Air Terminal (YKM) has 2 runways.
• The 2013 Federal sequester will result in the closure of the airport's contract control tower and will require pilots to rely on air traffic controllers from other area airports.
• Yakima Air Terminal is a public airport three miles south of Yakima, in Yakima County, Washington.
• In addition to being known as "Yakima Air Terminal", another name for YKM is "McAllister Field".
• The airport is also home to Cub Crafters, a manufacturer of light sport and light utility aircraft.
• During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces.
• The closest airport to Yakima Air Terminal (YKM) is Vagabond Army Heliport (closed to fixed-wing aircraft) (FCT), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) NNE of YKM.

Facts about Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS):

• 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.
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport is a regional airport in France, located southwest of Valenciennes.
• 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)".
• 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.
• Denain Airport was cleared of German forces by Allied ground forces about 11 September 1944 during the Northern France Campaign.
• The closest airport to Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NW of XVS.
• Valenciennes-Denain Airport (XVS) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.