Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Telluride, Colorado, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Telluride Regional Airport (TEX), Telluride, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,111 miles (or 8,225 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 Telluride Regional 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 Telluride Regional 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):

• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.

Facts about Telluride Regional Airport (TEX):

• Telluride Regional Airport covers 542 acres and has one runway, 9/27, 6,911 by 100 feet.
• Because of Telluride Regional Airport's high elevation of 9,070 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at TEX. Combined with a high temperature, this could make TEX a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,075 miles (17,823 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) is Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), which is located 38 miles (62 kilometers) N of TEX.
• Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) currently has only 1 runway.
• Telluride Regional Airport is the destination in the "Telluride Landing" mission supplied with Microsoft Flight Simulator X.