Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG), Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,026 miles (or 8,089 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 Mudanjiang Hailang 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 Mudanjiang Hailang 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):

• 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.
• 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 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.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• 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.
• 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.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.

Facts about Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG):

• In addition to being known as "Mudanjiang Hailang Airport", other names for MDG include "牡丹江海浪机场" and "Mǔdānjiāng Hǎilàng Jīchǎng".
• Because of Mudanjiang Hailang Airport's relatively low elevation of 883 feet, planes can take off or land at Mudanjiang Hailang 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.
• Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG) is Miramar Airport (MJR), which is located 11,856 miles (19,080 kilometers) away in Miramar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• The closest airport to Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG) is Jixi Xingkaihu Airport (JXA), which is located 88 miles (142 kilometers) NE of MDG.