Nonstop flight route between Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Penticton, British Columbia, Canada:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Penticton Regional Airport (YYF), Penticton, British Columbia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,796 miles (or 7,718 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 Penticton 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 Penticton 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):

• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• 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.

Facts about Penticton Regional Airport (YYF):

• On December 22, 1950, a Douglas C-47 aircraft operated by Canadian Pacific Air Lines from Vancouver crashed into Okanagan Mountain, some 26 kilometres north of Penticton.
• Initial examination for the construction of what would become Penticton Regional Airport began in 1937, at two locations.
• The facility has been recognized as a certified airport by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation.
• The furthest airport from Penticton Regional Airport (YYF) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,601 miles (17,060 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Penticton Regional Airport (YYF) is Kelowna International Airport (YLW), which is located 36 miles (57 kilometers) NNE of YYF.
• Penticton Regional Airport handled 80,000 passengers last year.
• An aviation centre was constructed at the airport in 1976, which included a 12-unit motel, flight training school, and aircraft overhaul shop.
• Penticton Regional Airport (YYF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Penticton Regional Airport", another name for YYF is "Penticton Airport".
• Kelowna International Airport—an international airport operated in nearby city Kelowna—has had an impact on this airport, since they both share the same catchment area.