Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Gamba, Gabon:
Departure Airport:
(37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(2°47'33"S by 10°3'29"E)
Distance from MER to GAX:
8,506.59 miles (13,690.00 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- GAX Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about GAX
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
- Map of Furthest Airports from MER
- List of Furthest Airports from MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to GAX
- List of Nearest Airports to GAX
- Map of Furthest Airports from GAX
- List of Furthest Airports from GAX
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Gamba Airport (GAX), Gamba, Gabon would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,507 miles (or 13,690 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 Gamba 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 Gamba Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MER / KMER |
| Airport Name: | Castle Airport |
| Location: | Atwater, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 191 feet (58 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MER |
| More Information: | MER Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GAX / |
| Airport Name: | Gamba Airport |
| Location: | Gamba, Gabon |
| GPS Coordinates: | 2°47'33"S by 10°3'29"E |
| View all routes: | Routes from GAX |
| More Information: | GAX Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
- 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.
- 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.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
Facts about Gamba Airport (GAX):
- The closest airport to Gamba Airport (GAX) is Mouila Airport (MJL), which is located 95 miles (153 kilometers) NE of GAX.
- The furthest airport from Gamba Airport (GAX) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is nearly antipodal to Gamba Airport (meaning Gamba Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Canton Island Airport), and is located 12,034 miles (19,366 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.26 miles (11.68 km) SSE | Merced Regional Airport (MCE) | Merced, California, United States |     |
| 2 | 27.12 miles (43.65 km) NW | Modesto City-County Airport (MOD) | Modesto, California, United States | |
| 3 | 27.51 miles (44.27 km) SW | Los Banos Municipal Airport (LSN) | Los Banos, California, United States | |
| 4 | 29.78 miles (47.92 km) W | NASA Crows Landing Airport (NRC) | Crows Landing, California, United States | |
| 5 | 36.91 miles (59.40 km) SE | Madera Municipal Airport (MAE) | Madera, California, United States | |
| 6 | 45.69 miles (73.53 km) N | Columbia Airport (COA) | Columbia, California, United States | |
| 7 | 51.03 miles (82.13 km) NW | Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK) | Stockton, California, United States | |
| 8 | 57.32 miles (92.24 km) SW | Hollister Municipal Airport (HLI) | Hollister, California, United States | |
| 9 | 60.88 miles (97.98 km) SE | Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH) | Fresno, California, United States | |
| 10 | 62.71 miles (100.91 km) SE | Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) | Fresno, California, United States | |
| 11 | 68.82 miles (110.76 km) W | Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) | San Jose, California, United States | |
| 12 | 71.93 miles (115.77 km) WNW | Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK) | Livermore, California, United States | |
| 13 | 73.96 miles (119.02 km) WSW | Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) | Watsonville, California, United States | |
| 14 | 74.75 miles (120.29 km) W | Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) | San Jose, California, United States | |
| 15 | 75.76 miles (121.93 km) SW | Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS) | Salinas, California, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,311.72 miles (18,204.41 km) SE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 2 | 11,301.64 miles (18,188.18 km) SSE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 3 | 11,273.49 miles (18,142.87 km) SSE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 4 | 11,260.93 miles (18,122.66 km) S | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 5 | 11,205.02 miles (18,032.69 km) SE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 11,196.39 miles (18,018.79 km) SSW | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 7 | 11,137.28 miles (17,923.67 km) SSE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| 8 | 11,111.96 miles (17,882.92 km) SE | Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) | Fianarantsoa, Madagascar | |
| 9 | 11,011.03 miles (17,720.49 km) SE | Manja Airport (MJA) | Manja, Menabe, Madagascar | |
| 10 | 11,008.37 miles (17,716.22 km) SE | Andavadoaka Airport (DVD) | Andavadoaka, Toliara province, Atsimo-Andrefana region, Madagascar | |
| 11 | 10,993.21 miles (17,691.82 km) SE | Morombe Airport (MXM) | Morombe, Madagascar | |
| 12 | 10,972.89 miles (17,659.11 km) SSE | Toamasino Airport (TMM) | Toamasina, Madagascar | |
| 13 | 10,963.56 miles (17,644.10 km) SSE | Ivato International Airport (TNR) | Antananarivo, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,945.21 miles (17,614.56 km) SE | Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) | Miandrivazo, Madagascar | |
| 15 | 10,920.84 miles (17,575.35 km) SE | Belo sur Tsiribihina Airport (BMD) | Belo sur Tsiribihina, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 94.98 miles (152.86 km) NE | Mouila Airport (MJL) | Mouila, Gabon | |
| 2 | 182.64 miles (293.92 km) E | Mossendjo Airport (MSX) | Mossendjo, Republic of the Congo | |
| 3 | 182.87 miles (294.30 km) ESE | Makabana Airport (KMK) | Makabana, Republic of the Congo | |
| 4 | 188.07 miles (302.68 km) SE | Pointe Noire Agostinho Neto International Airport (PNR) | Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo | |
| 5 | 198.55 miles (319.53 km) NE | Koulamoutou Airport (Koula Moutou Airport) (KOU) | Koulamoutou, Gabon | |
| 6 | 204.28 miles (328.76 km) ESE | Dolisie Airport (DIS) | Dolisie, Republic of Congo | |
| 7 | 229.02 miles (368.57 km) N | Libreville Leon M'ba International Airport (LBV) | Libreville, Gabon | |
| 8 | 238.07 miles (383.13 km) ENE | Moanda Airport (MFF) | Moanda, Gabon | |
| 9 | 243.08 miles (391.20 km) SE | Cabinda Airport (CAB) | Cabinda, Angola | |
| 10 | 246.21 miles (396.24 km) ENE | M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport (MVB) | Franceville / Mvengue, Gabon | |
| 11 | 259.43 miles (417.52 km) E | Zanaga Airport (ANJ) | Zanaga, Republic of the Congo | |
| 12 | 268.29 miles (431.77 km) SE | Muanda Airport (Moanda Airport) (MNB) | Muanda (Moanda), Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 13 | 282.48 miles (454.60 km) ESE | Mouyondzi Airport (MUY) | Mouyondzi, Republic of the Congo | |
| 14 | 289.03 miles (465.15 km) ENE | Akieni Airport (AKE) | Akieni, Gabon | |
| 15 | 296.00 miles (476.37 km) SE | Boma Airport (BOA) | Boma, Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,033.69 miles (19,366.29 km) NNE | Canton Island Airport (CIS) | Canton Island, Kiribati | |
| 2 | 11,565.74 miles (18,613.21 km) W | Cassidy International Airport (CXI) | Christmas Island, Kiribati | |
| 3 | 11,473.51 miles (18,464.78 km) N | Johnston Atoll Airport (JON) | Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | |
| 4 | 11,447.91 miles (18,423.58 km) ENE | Arorae Island Airport (AIS) | Arorae Island, Kiribati | |
| 5 | 11,424.85 miles (18,386.47 km) ENE | Beru Island Airport (BEZ) | Beru, Kiribati | |
| 6 | 11,354.48 miles (18,273.22 km) SE | Funafuti International Airport (FUN) | Funafuti, Tuvalu | |
| 7 | 11,338.27 miles (18,247.13 km) SW | Manihiki Island Airport (MHX) | Manihiki Island, Cook Islands | |
| 8 | 11,304.76 miles (18,193.21 km) E | Abemama Atoll Airport (AEA) | Abemama Atoll, Kiribati | |
| 9 | 11,295.80 miles (18,178.78 km) S | Asau Airport (AAU) | Asau, Samoa | |
| 10 | 11,288.44 miles (18,166.93 km) E | Aranuka Airport (AAK) | Aranuka, Kiribati | |
| 11 | 11,283.38 miles (18,158.80 km) S | Maota (Salelologa) Airport (MXS) | Maota, Samoa | |
| 12 | 11,280.43 miles (18,154.05 km) S | Fagali'i Airport (FGI) | Apia, Samoa | |
| 13 | 11,279.62 miles (18,152.74 km) S | Faleolo International Airport (APW) | Apia, Upolu Island, Samoa | |
| 14 | 11,276.54 miles (18,147.79 km) E | Marakei Airport (MZK) | Marakei, Kiribati | |
| 15 | 11,265.10 miles (18,129.38 km) E | Bonriki International Airport (TRW) | Tarawa, Kiribati | |