Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU), Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,695 miles (or 13,993 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II 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):

• 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.
• Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The EPA currently has this base listed on their database due to the bulk wastes such as solvents, oils, fuels, and sludges which were disposed in pits at landfills around the base until 1977.
• It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU):

• SSK II airport development was initialized in June 2013 and is expected to be completed in 2014.
• Because of Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport's relatively low elevation of 104 feet, planes can take off or land at Sultan Syarif Kasim II 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 Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) is Pinang Kampai Airport (DUM), which is located 79 miles (128 kilometers) N of PKU.
• The airport is also a Type B airbase of the TNI-AU, homebase of the 12th Squadron, a shelter to some Hawk Mk.109s and Mk.209s.
• The furthest airport from Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), which is nearly antipodal to Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (meaning Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mariscal Sucre International Airport), and is located 12,409 miles (19,971 kilometers) away in Quito, Ecuador.
• Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport handled 392,399 passengers last year.
• On 16 July 2012, a Rp 2 trillion new terminal has been opened to accommodate 1.5 million passengers a year and serve 8 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft and 2 Boeing 747 jumbo jets at the same time.
• In addition to being known as "Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport", other names for PKU include "Bandar Udara Internasional Sultan Syarif Kasim II" and "بندر اودارا اينترنسيونل سلطان شريف قاسم ٢".
• Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2012, the airport's VIP room was awarded as the best VIP Room by PT Angkasa Pura II.