Nonstop flight route between Nordkapp, Finnmark, Norway and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG), Nordkapp, Finnmark, Norway and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,768 miles (or 7,673 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan and Castle 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan and Castle 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG):

• On 29 October 1990 at 14:30 a Twin Otter of the Royal Norwegian Air Force crashed during landing at Honningsvåg Airport.
• DNL assumed the Finnmark route in 1947, but dropped Honningsvåg from the schedule.
• Because of Honningsvåg Airport, Valan's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Honningsvåg Airport, Valan 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 "Honningsvåg Airport, Valan", another name for HVG is "Honningsvåg lufthavn, Valan".
• The furthest airport from Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,409 miles (16,751 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Honningsvåg Airport, Valan handled 15,067 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG) is Mehamn Airport (MEH), which is located 41 miles (67 kilometers) E of HVG.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• Because of Castle Airport's relatively low elevation of 191 feet, planes can take off or land at Castle 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 Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• Castle Airport is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
• In 2004, recommendations were made to relocate the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard and its associated HC-130, MC-130 and HH-60 aircraft from Moffett Federal Airfield to the former Castle Air Force Base, now Castle Airport.