Nonstop flight route between Eilat, Israel and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eilat Airport (ETH), Eilat, Israel and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,548 miles (or 12,147 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 Eilat Airport and Castle 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 Eilat Airport and Castle 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 Eilat Airport (ETH):

• The furthest airport from Eilat Airport (ETH) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,807 miles (19,002 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• Eilat Airport (ETH) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Eilat Airport's relatively low elevation of 42 feet, planes can take off or land at Eilat 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.
• International passenger traffic decreased from magnitude of 20,000 in a year in late 2000s to 5,000 in a year in 2010s.
• The closest airport to Eilat Airport (ETH) is King Hussein International Airport (AQJ), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NE of ETH.
• In the 1994 Peace Agreement between Israel and Jordan it was decided that operations were supposed to be transferred from Eilat Airport to Aqaba Airport.
• In addition to being known as "Eilat Airport", other names for ETH include "J. Hozman Airport" and "שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה אֵילַת".

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• 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.
• 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.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.