Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Summit, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GKE to UMM:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- UMM Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about UMM
- 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 UMM
- List of Nearest Airports to UMM
- Map of Furthest Airports from UMM
- List of Furthest Airports from UMM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Summit Airport (UMM), Summit, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,426 miles (or 7,122 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 Summit 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 Summit Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
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: | UMM / PAST |
Airport Name: | Summit Airport |
Location: | Summit, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 63°19'53"N by 149°7'37"W |
Area Served: | Summit, Alaska |
Operator/Owner: | Alaska DOT&PF - Northern Region |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 2409 feet (734 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from UMM |
More Information: | UMM Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):
- Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
- E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E3A aircraft.
- 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.
- 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.
- Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
- 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 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).
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Summit Airport (UMM):
- The furthest airport from Summit Airport (UMM) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,397 miles (16,732 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
- Summit Airport (UMM) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Summit Airport (UMM) is McKinley National Park Airport (MCL), which is located 29 miles (46 kilometers) NNE of UMM.