Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GKE to YQS:
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- About this route
- GKE Airport Information
- YQS Airport Information
- Facts about GKE
- Facts about YQS
- 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 YQS
- List of Nearest Airports to YQS
- Map of Furthest Airports from YQS
- List of Furthest Airports from YQS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS), St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,911 miles (or 6,294 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 St. Thomas Municipal 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 St. Thomas Municipal 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: | YQS / CYQS |
Airport Name: | St. Thomas Municipal Airport |
Location: | St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 42°46'12"N by 81°6'34"W |
Operator/Owner: | Municipality of St. Thomas |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 779 feet (237 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from YQS |
More Information: | YQS Maps & Info |
Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (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 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).
- 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.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located in the Federal Republic of Germany, near the village of Teveren and six kilometers west of the town of Geilenkirchen.
- Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
- 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.
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
- Since coming into service in the early 1980s, the aircraft and their onboard systems and associated ground-based equipment have undergone regular upgrading.
Facts about St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS):
- Because of St. Thomas Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 779 feet, planes can take off or land at St. Thomas Municipal 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 closest airport to St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS) is London international Airport (YXU), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) N of YQS.
- The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency.
- St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS) has 3 runways.
- There is one flight training school operating out of the airport, in addition to numerous agricultural aircraft in the summer.
- The furthest airport from St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,370 miles (18,298 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.