Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Maiquetía (near Caracas), Venezuela:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport (CCS), Maiquetía (near Caracas), Venezuela would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,914 miles (or 7,908 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 Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International 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 Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International 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):

• In January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• 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.
• 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 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 Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
• 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.
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport (CCS):

• Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport (CCS) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport", another name for CCS is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar"".
• The furthest airport from Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport (CCS) is Blimbingsari Airport (BWX), which is nearly antipodal to Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport (meaning Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Blimbingsari Airport), and is located 12,254 miles (19,721 kilometers) away in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Java Island, Indonesia.
• Because of Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport's relatively low elevation of 235 feet, planes can take off or land at Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International 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.
• As part of an expansion plan, new international gates are currently in construction, and a section of the parking area has been cleared to build an airport hotel.
• The closest airport to Maiquetía "Simón Bolívar" International Airport (CCS) is El Libertador (MYC), which is located 49 miles (78 kilometers) SW of CCS.
• From 1960 to 1997, it was the main hub for Viasa, Venezuela's former flag carrier till it went bankrupt.