Nonstop flight route between Burlington, Iowa, United States and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL), Burlington, Iowa, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,380 miles (or 7,049 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 Southeast Iowa Regional Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component, 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 Southeast Iowa Regional Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component. 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 Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL):

• The closest airport to Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL) is Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (MPZ), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) WNW of BRL.
• Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL) has 2 runways.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 2,645 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 1,986 enplanements in 2009, and 2,821 in 2010.
• The airport's hours of operation were extended in 1959 when runway lights were installed, enabling flights to takeoff and land at night.
• On November 19, 1996, United Express Flight 5925 departed Burlington bound for Quincy, IL collided with a King Air near the runway 4/13 intersection at Quincy Regional Airport.
• The furthest airport from Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,927 miles (17,586 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Southeast Iowa Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 698 feet, planes can take off or land at Southeast Iowa Regional 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• The furthest airport from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,929 miles (19,198 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• The closest airport to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Merzbrück Airfield (AAH), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of GKE.
• The Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• In January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• Because of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component's relatively low elevation of 296 feet, planes can take off or land at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component 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.
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.