Nonstop flight route between Fajardo, Puerto Rico, United States and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ), Fajardo, Puerto Rico, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,451 miles (or 7,164 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 Diego Jiménez Torres 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 Diego Jiménez Torres 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 Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ):

• In addition to being known as "Diego Jiménez Torres Airport", other names for FAJ include "Fajardo Airport" and "X95".
• The furthest airport from Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (meaning Diego Jiménez Torres Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,247 miles (19,709 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• Airport operations were shut down in November 2008 and transferred to the newly opened José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba.
• The closest airport to Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ) is Humacao Airport (HUC), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SW of FAJ.
• Because of Diego Jiménez Torres Airport's relatively low elevation of 64 feet, planes can take off or land at Diego Jiménez Torres 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.
• Diego Jiménez Torres Airport (FAJ) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• Following NATO’s decision to establish the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force program and to make the base near Teveren the Main Operating Base of the E­3A Component, a major construction program was started in 1980 to modify the operational and support facilities.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
• 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.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
• Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
• 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.
• The Component operates seventeen Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft all of which are based on the Boeing 707 airframe Trainer Cargo Aircraft but which have since been retired).
• 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.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.