Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Barra del Colorado, Costa Rica:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Barra del Colorado Airport (BCL), Barra del Colorado, Costa Rica would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,626 miles (or 9,054 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Barra del Colorado 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Barra del Colorado 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 NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• 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.
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• 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.
• Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
• Major construction on the base initially included a new 3,000-metre runway with a width of 45 metres, as well as aprons and taxiways, a control tower, an Information Technology Wing building, on-base accommodation and major renovation of the four existing hangars.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
• Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.

Facts about Barra del Colorado Airport (BCL):

• The furthest airport from Barra del Colorado Airport (BCL) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Barra del Colorado Airport (meaning Barra del Colorado Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,335 miles (19,851 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Barra del Colorado Airport (BCL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Barra del Colorado Airport (BCL) is Tortuguero Airport (TTQ), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) SSE of BCL.
• In addition to being known as "Barra del Colorado Airport", another name for BCL is "Aeropuerto de Barra del Colorado".
• Because of Barra del Colorado Airport's relatively low elevation of 3 feet, planes can take off or land at Barra del Colorado 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.