Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG), Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,445 miles (or 10,372 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA), 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA). 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Component operates seventeen Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft all of which are based on the Boeing 707 airframe Trainer Cargo Aircraft but which have since been retired).

Facts about Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG):

• This airport suffered minor damage because of a earthquake in September 2009.
• Because of Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)'s relatively low elevation of 18 feet, planes can take off or land at Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) 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 closest airport to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Rokot Airport (RKI), which is located 99 miles (159 kilometers) SSW of PDG.
• Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Along with the development of the airport, the local government has completed a flyover at the intersection of the entrance to the airport which links the Airport with the By-pass arterial road.
• The furthest airport from Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM), which is nearly antipodal to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (meaning Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Carlos Concha Torres International Airport), and is located 12,422 miles (19,991 kilometers) away in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
• In addition to being known as "Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)", other names for PDG include "Bandar Udara Internasional Minangkabau (MIA)" and "بانداراينتيرنسيونالمينڠكاباو".