Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Heihe, Heilongjiang, China:
Departure Airport:
(37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(50°10'19"N by 127°18'30"E)
Distance from MER to HEK:
5,117.29 miles (8,235.45 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- HEK Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about HEK
- 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 HEK
- List of Nearest Airports to HEK
- Map of Furthest Airports from HEK
- List of Furthest Airports from HEK
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Heihe Airport (HEK), Heihe, Heilongjiang, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,117 miles (or 8,235 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 Heihe 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 Heihe 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: | HEK / ZYHE |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Heihe, Heilongjiang, China |
| GPS Coordinates: | 50°10'19"N by 127°18'30"E |
| Area Served: | Heihe, Heilongjiang, China |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1024 feet (312 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from HEK |
| More Information: | HEK Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Since the mid-1940s, aircraft maintenance, fuel management, and fire training activities on the base have generated wastes that consist primarily of waste fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.
- 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.
Facts about Heihe Airport (HEK):
- In addition to being known as "Heihe Airport", other names for HEK include "黑河机场" and "Hēihé Jīchǎng".
- The closest airport to Heihe Airport (HEK) is Ignatyevo Airport (BQS), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) NNE of HEK.
- Heihe Airport (HEK) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Heihe Airport (HEK) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is nearly antipodal to Heihe Airport (meaning Heihe Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Port Stanley Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,621 kilometers) away in Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom.
| 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 | 18.07 miles (29.08 km) NNE | Ignatyevo Airport (BQS) | Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia | |
| 2 | 236.55 miles (380.69 km) NNW | Magdagachi (GDG) | Magdagachi, Russia | |
| 3 | 265.43 miles (427.17 km) SSW | Daqing Sartu Airport (DQA) | Daqing, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 4 | 271.57 miles (437.05 km) SSE | Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU) | Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 5 | 283.05 miles (455.53 km) NW | Mohe Gulian Airport (OHE) | Mohe, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 6 | 318.08 miles (511.91 km) S | Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB) | Harbin, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 7 | 340.97 miles (548.73 km) W | Hulunbuir Hailar Airport (HLD) | Hailar, Inner Mongolia, China | |
| 8 | 367.40 miles (591.27 km) SW | Ulanhot Airport (HLH) | Ulanhot, China | |
| 9 | 368.61 miles (593.22 km) NNW | Tynda Sigikta (TYD) | Tynda, Amur Oblast, Russia | |
| 10 | 372.20 miles (599.00 km) ESE | Khabarovsk Novy Airport (KHV) | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| 11 | 377.25 miles (607.13 km) SSE | Jixi Xingkaihu Airport (JXA) | Jixi, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 12 | 390.48 miles (628.41 km) WSW | Arxan Yi'ershi Airport (YIE) | Arxan, Inner Mongolia, China | |
| 13 | 404.28 miles (650.63 km) SSE | Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG) | Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 14 | 424.89 miles (683.79 km) E | Komsomolsk-na-Amur Khurba (KXK) | Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia | |
| 15 | 428.46 miles (689.53 km) S | Jilin Ertaizi Airport (JIL) | Jilin City, Jilin, China | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,191.93 miles (19,620.96 km) ESE | Port Stanley Airport (PSY) | Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom | |
| 2 | 12,161.86 miles (19,572.56 km) ESE | RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN) | Falkland Islands | |
| 3 | 11,815.07 miles (19,014.47 km) E | Puerto Deseado Airport (PUD) | Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina | |
| 4 | 11,750.60 miles (18,910.71 km) ESE | Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA) | Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina | |
| 5 | 11,707.65 miles (18,841.59 km) ESE | Ushuaia International Airport (USH) | Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina | |
| 6 | 11,707.23 miles (18,840.92 km) ESE | Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) | Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina | |
| 7 | 11,690.94 miles (18,814.69 km) ESE | General Enrique Mosconi International Airport (CRD) | Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina | |
| 8 | 11,672.01 miles (18,784.23 km) SE | Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport (REL) | Trelew, Chubut, Argentina | |
| 9 | 11,656.81 miles (18,759.78 km) SE | El Tehuelche Airport (PMY) | Puerto Madryn, Argentina | |
| 10 | 11,649.05 miles (18,747.28 km) E | Gobernador Gregores Airport (GGS) | Gobernador Gregores, Santa Cruz, Argentina | |
| 11 | 11,635.32 miles (18,725.19 km) ESE | Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) | Punta Arenas, Chile | |
| 12 | 11,624.63 miles (18,707.99 km) SE | Gobernador Edgardo Castello Airport (VDM) | Viedma, Argentina | |
| 13 | 11,583.33 miles (18,641.52 km) E | Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) | El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina | |
| 14 | 11,575.01 miles (18,628.12 km) SSE | Necochea Airport (NEC) | Necochea, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 15 | 11,572.97 miles (18,624.84 km) SSE | Miramar Airport (MJR) | Miramar, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |