Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Mbambanakira, Solomon Islands:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GKE to MBU:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- MBU Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about MBU
- 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 MBU
- List of Nearest Airports to MBU
- Map of Furthest Airports from MBU
- List of Furthest Airports from MBU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Mbambanakira Airport (MBU), Mbambanakira, Solomon Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,225 miles (or 14,845 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 Mbambanakira 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 Mbambanakira Airport. 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: | MBU / AGGD |
Airport Name: | Mbambanakira Airport |
Location: | Mbambanakira, Solomon Islands |
GPS Coordinates: | 9°44'51"S by 159°50'20"E |
View all routes: | Routes from MBU |
More Information: | MBU Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):
- Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
- 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.
- E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E3A aircraft.
- 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 E-3A Component is NATO's first operational flying unit with multinational manning.
- 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.
- 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.
- Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
Facts about Mbambanakira Airport (MBU):
- The furthest airport from Mbambanakira Airport (MBU) is Cap Skirring Airport (CSK), which is nearly antipodal to Mbambanakira Airport (meaning Mbambanakira Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cap Skirring Airport), and is located 12,141 miles (19,539 kilometers) away in Cap Skirring, Senegal.
- The closest airport to Mbambanakira Airport (MBU) is Honiara International Airport (formerly Henderson Field) (HIR), which is located 27 miles (43 kilometers) NNE of MBU.