Nonstop flight route between Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mount Isa Airport (ISA), Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,603 miles (or 12,235 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 Mount Isa Airport 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 Mount Isa Airport 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 Mount Isa Airport (ISA):

• On 22 September 1966 a Vickers Viscount aircraft departed from Mount Isa Airport with twenty passengers for a flight to Brisbane via Longreach.
• The furthest airport from Mount Isa Airport (ISA) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,402 miles (18,349 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• Mount Isa Airport (ISA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Mount Isa Airport was ranked 30th in Australia for the number of revenue passengers served in financial year 2010-2011.
• The closest airport to Mount Isa Airport (ISA) is Cloncurry Airport (CNJ), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) E of ISA.
• Since 2005 the airport has been owned by Queensland Airports Limited, which also owns Townsville Airport and Gold Coast Airport.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• 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.