Nonstop flight route between Joensuu, Finland and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Joensuu Airport (JOE), Joensuu, Finland and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,330 miles (or 8,577 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 Joensuu 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 Joensuu 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 Joensuu Airport (JOE):

• The closest airport to Joensuu Airport (JOE) is Kitee Airfield (KTQ), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) SSE of JOE.
• Joensuu Airport handled 118,761 passengers last year.
• Joensuu Airport (JOE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Joensuu Airport's relatively low elevation of 398 feet, planes can take off or land at Joensuu 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 Joensuu Airport (JOE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,770 miles (17,332 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Joensuu Airport", another name for JOE is "Joensuun lentoasema".

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• 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.
• EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
• 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.
• 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 EPA currently has this base listed on their database due to the bulk wastes such as solvents, oils, fuels, and sludges which were disposed in pits at landfills around the base until 1977.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.