Nonstop flight route between Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada and Braintree, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada and MDPGA Wethersfield (WXF), Braintree, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,694 miles (or 7,555 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 Abbotsford International Airport and MDPGA Wethersfield, 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 Abbotsford International Airport and MDPGA Wethersfield. 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 Abbotsford International Airport (YXX):

• Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) has 2 runways.
• In September 1984 Pope John Paul II held an open-air mass for over 200,000 people at the airport.
• The closest airport to Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is Blaine Municipal Airport (BWS), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) W of YXX.
• Abbotsford International Airport handled 475,223 passengers last year.
• The airport became the home to Skyways Air Services and Conair Aviation in the 1960s.
• In 2010, a new parallel taxiway as added alongside runway 07/25, and the main airport apron was extended.
• Because of Abbotsford International Airport's relatively low elevation of 194 feet, planes can take off or land at Abbotsford International 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.
• Following World War II, the airport was largely used for general aviation and as a secondary field to Vancouver International Airport.
• The furthest airport from Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,682 miles (17,191 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.

Facts about MDPGA Wethersfield (WXF):

• The fighter squadrons of the 20th had been in constant rotation since the arrival of the wing at Wethersfield in 1952.
• Because of MDPGA Wethersfield's relatively low elevation of 322 feet, planes can take off or land at MDPGA Wethersfield 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.
• Starting in July 1966, bases in Turkey, Spain, and Italy were transferred from Tactical Air Command to USAFE.
• MDPGA Wethersfield (WXF) has 3 runways.
• The 819th, along with the 2166th Communications Squadron, were the main units at Wethersfeld until the USAF returned the base to the British in 1990 due to budget cutbacks.
• The 20th Fighter Bomber Wing established an operational detachment at Wheelus AB, Libya, in February 1958.
• In 1951, as a result of the Cold War threat of the Soviet Union, the British provided RAF Wethersfield to the USAF as part of their NATO commitment.
• As the American involvement in the Vietnam War wound down, the role of RED HORSE units in peacetime came into question.
• Formerly known as RAF Wethersfield, it opened in 1944.
• The closest airport to MDPGA Wethersfield (WXF) is London Stansted Airport (STN), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) WSW of WXF.
• In August 1976 the 66th CSS became Detachment 1, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, based at RAF Alconbury.
• In addition to being known as "MDPGA Wethersfield", another name for WXF is "RAF Wethersfield".
• The furthest airport from MDPGA Wethersfield (WXF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,856 miles (19,080 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.