Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Topeka, Kansas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Forbes Field (FOE), Topeka, Kansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,973 miles (or 6,394 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 Forbes Field, 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 Forbes Field. 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.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• 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.
• 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.
• Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
• 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.
• 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 Forbes Field (FOE):

• In addition to being known as "Forbes Field", another name for FOE is ""The House of Thrills""The Old Lady of Schenley Park""The Orchard of Oakland" [1]".
• The closest airport to Forbes Field (FOE) is Allegheny County Airport (AGC), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SSE of FOE.
• A community group attempted to rescue the structure from demolition, proposing such things as a stage, apartments and a farmers market for the site and comparing it to the Eiffel Tower in significance.
• The furthest airport from Forbes Field (FOE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,496 miles (18,501 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In 1925, the right field grandstand was extended into the corner and into fair territory, reducing the foul line distance from 376 feet to 300 feet.
• Forbes Field's ivy-covered walls featured no advertising, except a 32-foot United States Marine Corps billboard during the 1943 season.
• Initial work on the land began on January 1, 1909, but ground was not officially broken until March 1.
• The first batter at Forbes Field was future Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, the Cubs second baseman and lead off batter.