Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Semonkong, Lesotho:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GKE to SOK:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- SOK Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about SOK
- Map of Nearest Airports to GKE
- List of Nearest Airports to GKE
- Map of Furthest Airports from GKE
- List of Furthest Airports from GKE
- Map of Nearest Airports to SOK
- List of Nearest Airports to SOK
- Map of Furthest Airports from SOK
- List of Furthest Airports from SOK
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Semonkong Airport (SOK), Semonkong, Lesotho would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,742 miles (or 9,241 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 Semonkong 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 Semonkong Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GKE / ETNG |
Airport Name: | NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component |
Location: | Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
GPS Coordinates: | 50°57'38"N by 6°2'33"E |
Operator/Owner: | NATO |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 296 feet (90 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GKE |
More Information: | GKE Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SOK / FXSM |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Semonkong, Lesotho |
GPS Coordinates: | 29°50'17"S by 28°3'35"E |
Airport Type: | Civil |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SOK |
More Information: | SOK Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):
- The E-3A Component is NATO's first operational flying unit with multinational manning.
- E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E3A aircraft.
- The E-3A Component directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
- 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.
- 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.
- Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- 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.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located in the Federal Republic of Germany, near the village of Teveren and six kilometers west of the town of Geilenkirchen.
- Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
- Following NATO’s decision to establish the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force program and to make the base near Teveren the Main Operating Base of the E3A Component, a major construction program was started in 1980 to modify the operational and support facilities.
Facts about Semonkong Airport (SOK):
- Semonkong Airport (SOK) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Semonkong Airport (SOK) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located 11,763 miles (18,931 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Semonkong Airport (SOK) is Lesobeng Airport (LES), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) ENE of SOK.
- In addition to being known as "Semonkong Airport", another name for SOK is "Semonkong".