Nonstop flight route between Berlin, Germany and Eastsound, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GWW to ESD:
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- About this route
- GWW Airport Information
- ESD Airport Information
- Facts about GWW
- Facts about ESD
- Map of Nearest Airports to GWW
- List of Nearest Airports to GWW
- Map of Furthest Airports from GWW
- List of Furthest Airports from GWW
- Map of Nearest Airports to ESD
- List of Nearest Airports to ESD
- Map of Furthest Airports from ESD
- List of Furthest Airports from ESD
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Royal Air Force Station Gatow (GWW), Berlin, Germany and Orcas Island Airport (ESD), Eastsound, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,985 miles (or 8,023 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 Royal Air Force Station Gatow and Orcas Island 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 Royal Air Force Station Gatow and Orcas Island Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GWW / EDBG |
| Airport Name: | Royal Air Force Station Gatow |
| Location: | Berlin, Germany |
| GPS Coordinates: | 52°28'27"N by 13°8'17"E |
| Operator/Owner: | formerly: Ministry of Defence, now: Bundeswehr |
| Airport Type: | Military (airport no longer in operation) |
| Elevation: | 161 feet (49 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from GWW |
| More Information: | GWW Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | ESD / KORS |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Eastsound, Washington, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 48°42'29"N by 122°54'38"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Port of Orcas |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 31 feet (9 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from ESD |
| More Information: | ESD Maps & Info |
Facts about Royal Air Force Station Gatow (GWW):
- Because of Royal Air Force Station Gatow's relatively low elevation of 161 feet, planes can take off or land at Royal Air Force Station Gatow 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.
- In November 1948, the latest RAF transport aircraft, the Handley Page Hastings, was added to the squadrons flying into RAF Gatow and some aircrews and aircraft were redeployed to train replacement aircrews.
- These aircraft were also used for reconnaissance missions in co-operation with The British Commander-in-Chief's Mission to the Soviet Forces of Occupation in Germany, commonly known as BRIXMIS.
- The closest airport to Royal Air Force Station Gatow (GWW) is Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) NE of GWW.
- Clues to the airfield's original use survive in the barrack block accommodation, each block of which was named after a famous German airman of the First World War, with the airman's bust above the entrance door.
- Royal Air Force Station Gatow (GWW) currently has only 1 runway.
- After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Chipmunk reconnaissance flights soon ceased and the two Chipmunks were flown to RAF Laarbruch, in Western Germany to await disposal action.
- The novel Air Bridge by Hammond Innes is partially set in RAF Gatow at the time of the Berlin Airlift, and is notable for its accurate descriptions of the Station, including corridors and rooms within it.
- The furthest airport from Royal Air Force Station Gatow (GWW) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,694 miles (18,819 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Also on the site of the former RAF station, but not part of General-Steinhoff Kaserne, is a school, the Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium, and houses for government employees of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Facts about Orcas Island Airport (ESD):
- The closest airport to Orcas Island Airport (ESD) is Rosario Seaplane Base (RSJ), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) SSE of ESD.
- Orcas Island Airport covers an area of 64 acres which contains one asphalt paved runway measuring 2,900 x 60 ft.
- ORS has been assigned to Orpheus Island Resort Waterport in Queensland, Australia.
- Because of Orcas Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 31 feet, planes can take off or land at Orcas Island 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.
- In addition to being known as "Orcas Island Airport", another name for ESD is "ORS".
- The furthest airport from Orcas Island Airport (ESD) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,712 miles (17,239 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Orcas Island Airport (ESD) currently has only 1 runway.
