Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GKE to BWG:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- BWG Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about BWG
- Map of Nearest Airports to GKE
- List of Nearest Airports to GKE
- Map of Furthest Airports from GKE
- List of Furthest Airports from GKE
- Map of Nearest Airports to BWG
- List of Nearest Airports to BWG
- Map of Furthest Airports from BWG
- List of Furthest Airports from BWG
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Paducah KY (BWG), Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,391 miles (or 7,066 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 Paducah KY, 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 Paducah KY. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GKE / ETNG |
Airport Name: | NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component |
Location: | Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
GPS Coordinates: | 50°57'38"N by 6°2'33"E |
Operator/Owner: | NATO |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 296 feet (90 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GKE |
More Information: | GKE Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BWG / KBWG |
Airport Name: | Paducah KY |
Location: | Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 36°57'51"N by 86°25'10"W |
Operator/Owner: | City of Bowling Green & Warren County |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 547 feet (167 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from BWG |
More Information: | BWG Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):
- E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E3A aircraft.
- Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
- Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
- The fleet of E-3's has remained in operation since the Cold War and has adapted its mission to emerging security threats, primarily in European airspace.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
Facts about Paducah KY (BWG):
- Because of Paducah KY's relatively low elevation of 547 feet, planes can take off or land at Paducah KY 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 closest airport to Paducah KY (BWG) is Glasgow Municipal Airport (GLW), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) E of BWG.
- The furthest airport from Paducah KY (BWG) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,210 miles (18,041 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Paducah KY (BWG) has 2 runways.