Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA), Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,240 miles (or 16,479 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 Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga 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 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.
• 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 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.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
• 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).
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA):

• In the 2010-11 financial year the airport recorded 213,923 passengers which made it the 31st busiest airport in Australia.
• In June 2009, Wagga Wagga Airport was listed third for the world's strangest sounding airports.
• Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) has 2 runways.
• Wagga Wagga Airport handled 207,633 passengers last year.
• Because of Wagga Wagga Airport's relatively low elevation of 724 feet, planes can take off or land at Wagga Wagga 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.
• The furthest airport from Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Wagga Wagga Airport (meaning Wagga Wagga Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,130 miles (19,522 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• In the 2011-12 financial year, Wagga Wagga City Council will develop a commercial aviation precinct at a cost of A$6.8 million, to attract aviation industries to the airport.
• The closest airport to Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) is Cootamundra Airport (CMD), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) NE of WGA.
• In addition to being known as "Wagga Wagga Airport", another name for WGA is "RAAF Base Wagga".