Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Futuna Island, Wallis and Futuna Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT), Futuna Island, Wallis and Futuna Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,894 miles (or 15,923 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 Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele 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 Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele 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):

• Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The E-3A Component directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
• 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.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• The Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
• 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.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• 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.

Facts about Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT):

• Because of Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele 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.
• The furthest airport from Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT) is Diori Hamani International Airport (NIM), which is nearly antipodal to Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (meaning Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Diori Hamani International Airport), and is located 12,377 miles (19,919 kilometers) away in Niamey, Niger.
• The closest airport to Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT) is Wallis Island (WLS), which is located 145 miles (233 kilometers) ENE of FUT.
• Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT) currently has only 1 runway.