Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Esmeraldas, Ecuador:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM), Esmeraldas, Ecuador would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,619 miles (or 5,824 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 Castle Airport and Carlos Concha Torres International 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 Castle Airport and Carlos Concha Torres International 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 Castle Airport (MER):

• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Castle Airport is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
• In 2004, recommendations were made to relocate the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard and its associated HC-130, MC-130 and HH-60 aircraft from Moffett Federal Airfield to the former Castle Air Force Base, now Castle Airport.
• Because of Castle Airport's relatively low elevation of 191 feet, planes can take off or land at Castle 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.

Facts about Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM):

• The furthest airport from Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM) is Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG), which is nearly antipodal to Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (meaning Carlos Concha Torres International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)), and is located 12,422 miles (19,991 kilometers) away in Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
• Because of Carlos Concha Torres International Airport's relatively low elevation of 32 feet, planes can take off or land at Carlos Concha Torres 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.
• The closest airport to Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM) is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), which is located 116 miles (186 kilometers) SE of ESM.
• Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM) currently has only 1 runway.