Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Norman, Oklahoma, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer Airport (OUN), Norman, Oklahoma, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,895 miles (or 7,878 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.
• Because of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component's relatively low elevation of 296 feet, planes can take off or land at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component 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 January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• The Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Merzbrück Airfield (AAH), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of GKE.
• The furthest airport from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,929 miles (19,198 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

Facts about University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer Airport (OUN):

• University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer Airport (OUN) has 2 runways.
• Built as a civil airport on land donated by the Nuestadt family in the name of their uncle Max Westheimer to the University of Oklahoma and land from the city of Norman, Oklahoma, it was taken over by the U.S.
• The furthest airport from University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer Airport (OUN) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,853 miles (17,467 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to University of Oklahoma Max Westheimer Airport (OUN) is Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), which is located only 13 miles (20 kilometers) NW of OUN.
• The airport covers 727 acres at an elevation of 1,182 feet.