Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GKE to SOU:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- SOU Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about SOU
- 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 SOU
- List of Nearest Airports to SOU
- Map of Furthest Airports from SOU
- List of Furthest Airports from SOU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Southampton Airport (SOU), Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 322 miles (or 518 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 relatively short distance between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component and Southampton Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
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: | SOU / EGHI |
| Airport Name: | Southampton Airport |
| Location: | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 50°57'1"N by 1°21'24"W |
| Area Served: | Southampton |
| Operator/Owner: | Heathrow Airport Holdings |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 44 feet (13 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SOU |
| More Information: | SOU Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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 directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
- 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 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.
- Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
- 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 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.
Facts about Southampton Airport (SOU):
- Southampton Airport (SOU) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Southampton Airport (SOU) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,918 miles (19,179 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- In 1932 Southampton Corporation purchased the site and it became "Southampton Municipal Airport".
- The closest airport to Southampton Airport (SOU) is Lasham Airfield (QLA), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) NE of SOU.
- Southampton Airport handled 1,722,758 passengers last year.
- During the First World War, when forces from the United States Navy arrived in 1917, work on the building of hangars began.
- Because of Southampton Airport's relatively low elevation of 44 feet, planes can take off or land at Southampton 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.
- There are plans, supported by the local council, to rename the airport after R.
