Nonstop flight route between Nordholz, Germany and Ponce, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Nordholz Naval Airbase (FCN), Nordholz, Germany and Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,621 miles (or 7,436 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 Nordholz Naval Airbase and Mercedita 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 Nordholz Naval Airbase and Mercedita 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 Nordholz Naval Airbase (FCN):

• Nordholz Naval Airbase (FCN) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1959 construction of the current airbase began.
• A year later the subhunting component of MFG 2 moved from Westerland on Sylt to Nordholz.
• Immediately north of the base is the grass runway of Spieka recreational airfield.
• Because of Nordholz Naval Airbase's relatively low elevation of 74 feet, planes can take off or land at Nordholz Naval Airbase 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 furthest airport from Nordholz Naval Airbase (FCN) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,711 miles (18,847 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Nordholz Naval Airbase (FCN) is Bremerhaven Airport (BRV), which is located only 18 miles (30 kilometers) S of FCN.
• Flying returned to Nordholz in 1938, when the Luftwaffe decided to rebuild the airfield.
• In addition to being known as "Nordholz Naval Airbase", another name for FCN is "(Advanced Landing Ground R-56)".

Facts about Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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.
• Built in 1939, Mercedita was originally a modest aerodrome used for the airborne irrigation of sugarcane fields belonging to Destilería Serrallés.
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• The airport is also home of the southern aerial division of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
• In the fall of 1992, the runway was extended to make it possible for American Airlines to run flights to Miami, Florida.
• On July 1, 2011, a Cessna 185 that was supposed to land at Mercedita airport with a family of five on board, registration number N8438Q, crashed while on its way from Culebra.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 110,159 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 90,267 enplanements in 2009, and 97,660 in 2010.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, a 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all the regional airports for that 5-year period.
• The furthest airport from Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".