Nonstop flight route between Gillette, Wyoming, United States and Santa Ana, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC), Gillette, Wyoming, United States and MCAS El Toro (NZJ), Santa Ana, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 984 miles (or 1,583 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 relatively short distance between Gillette–Campbell County Airport and MCAS El Toro, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC):

• Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 28,232 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 26,869 in 2009 and 29,230 in 2010.
• The airport covers 759 acres at an elevation of 4,364 feet.
• Because of Gillette–Campbell County Airport's high elevation of 4,364 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GCC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GCC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) is Sheridan County Airport (SHR), which is located 77 miles (123 kilometers) WNW of GCC.
• The furthest airport from Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,622 miles (17,094 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) has 2 runways.

Facts about MCAS El Toro (NZJ):

• Because of MCAS El Toro's relatively low elevation of 383 feet, planes can take off or land at MCAS El Toro 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.
• In 1950, El Toro was selected as a permanent Master Jet Station for the Fleet Marine Forces, Pacific.
• The closing of MCAS El Toro ignited a political firestorm over the eventual fate of the facility.
• The base headquarters was established on November 4, 1942 and the first landing occurred in late November when a Major Micheal Carmichael, flying from Camp Kearny, was forced to make an emergency landing among the construction equipment.
• The furthest airport from MCAS El Toro (NZJ) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,486 miles (18,486 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The land originally surrounding the base was mostly at agricultural use when it first opened, but it the late 1980s and early 1990s, residential development started to begin in the area.
• In 1993, MCAS El Toro was designated for closing by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and all of its activities were to be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
• The closest airport to MCAS El Toro (NZJ) is John Wayne Airport (SNA), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) W of NZJ.
• MCAS El Toro (NZJ) has 5 runways.
• The Department of the Navy hired the General Services Administration and Los Angeles-based Colliers International to assist in the sale of MCAS El Toro.