Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Pellston, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (PLN), Pellston, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,921 miles (or 6,311 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 Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County, 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 Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County. 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):

• 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.
• Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Following NATO’s decision to establish the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force program and to make the base near Teveren the Main Operating Base of the E­3A Component, a major construction program was started in 1980 to modify the operational and support facilities.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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 Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (PLN):

• Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (PLN) has 2 runways.
• Because of Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County's relatively low elevation of 720 feet, planes can take off or land at Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County 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 May 2013 Lakeshore Express Aviation announced regular flights from Pellston to Oakland County International Airport on 30-seat Saab 340B aircraft beginning in June.
• The 35,000 square feet northern lodge themed passenger terminal building was constructed in 2003 and designed by architect Paul W.
• The closest airport to Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (PLN) is Mackinac Island Airport (MCD), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) NNE of PLN.
• The furthest airport from Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (PLN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,115 miles (17,888 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.