Nonstop flight route between Mérida, Venezuela and Okinawa Prefecture, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD), Mérida, Venezuela and Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA), Okinawa Prefecture, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,709 miles (or 15,625 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 Alberto Carnevalli Airport and Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō, 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 Alberto Carnevalli Airport and Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō. 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 Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD):

• The closest airport to Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD) is Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso Airport (VIG), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) W of MRD.
• Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Alberto Carnevalli Airport", another name for MRD is "Aeropuerto Alberto Carnevalli".
• The furthest airport from Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD) is Tunggul Wulung Airport (CXP), which is nearly antipodal to Alberto Carnevalli Airport (meaning Alberto Carnevalli Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tunggul Wulung Airport), and is located 12,370 miles (19,907 kilometers) away in Cilacap, Java Island, Indonesia.
• Because of Alberto Carnevalli Airport's high elevation of 5,007 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MRD. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MRD a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.

Facts about Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA):

• The 18th Wing is the host unit at Kadena AB.
• The 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to Kadena from Osan-ni AB, South Korea on 1 November 1954, flying three squadrons of North American F-86 Sabres.
• Twentieth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena on 16 May 1949.
• The furthest airport from Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) is Paulo Abdala Airport (FBE), which is nearly antipodal to Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (meaning Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Paulo Abdala Airport), and is located 12,381 miles (19,926 kilometers) away in Francisco Beltrao, Paraná, Brazil.
• Beginning in 1961, the 18th was sending its tactical squadrons frequently to South Vietnam and Thailand, initially with its RF-101 reconnaissance forces, and beginning in 1964 with its tactical fighter forces supporting USAF combat missions in the Vietnam War.
• The closest airport to Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) is Naha Airport (OKA), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SW of DNA.
• Kadena airfield was initially under the control of Seventh Air Force, however on 16 July 1945, Headquarters Eighth Air Force was transferred, without personnel, equipment, or combat elements to the town of Sakugawa, near Kadena from RAF High Wycombe England.
• Kadena Air Base's history dates back to just before the 1 April 1945, Battle of Okinawa, when a local construction firm completed a small airfield named Yara Hikojo near the island's village of Kadena.
• In addition to being known as "Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō", another name for DNA is "Kadena AFB".
• In 1972, the 1st Special Operations Squadron was assigned, bringing their specialized Lockheed C/MC-130 Hercules aircraft to the wing.