Nonstop flight route between Evans Head, New South Wales, Australia and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome (EVH), Evans Head, New South Wales, Australia and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,206 miles (or 11,597 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 Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome 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 Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome 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 Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome (EVH):

• In 1943, 1BAGS was disbanded and No 1 Air Observers School relocated from RAAF Station Cootamundra to Evans Head, flying mainly Avro Anson and CAC Wackett aircraft.
• A high profile consortium, Evans Head Airpark Pty Ltd.
• The furthest airport from Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome (EVH) is La Palma Airport (SPC), which is located 11,902 miles (19,154 kilometers) away in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.
• As of June 2012 only runway 18/36 remains in use, with a sealed surface 1,303 m long.
• Following the war, the airfield briefly used for commercial air traffic, with Butler Air Transport being the main airline offering services.
• Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome (EVH) currently has only 1 runway.
• An airfield at Evans Head was first established in 1936, serving as an emergency landing ground however in 1937, the Commonwealth took control of the airfield for use as a military base.
• The closest airport to Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome (EVH) is Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (BNK), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) NNE of EVH.
• Because of Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome 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 Castle Airport (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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.