Nonstop flight route between Orchid Island, Taitung County, Taiwan and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lanyu Airport (KYD), Orchid Island, Taitung County, Taiwan and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,683 miles (or 10,755 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 Lanyu 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 Lanyu 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 Lanyu Airport (KYD):

• In addition to being known as "Lanyu Airport", other names for KYD include "蘭嶼航空站蘭嶼機場" and "Lányǔ HángkōngzhànLányǔ Jīchǎng".
• Because of Lanyu Airport's relatively low elevation of 44 feet, planes can take off or land at Lanyu 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.
• Lanyu Airport (KYD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lanyu Airport (KYD) is Lyudao Airport (Green Island Airport) (GNI), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) N of KYD.
• The furthest airport from Lanyu Airport (KYD) is Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport (ESG), which is nearly antipodal to Lanyu Airport (meaning Lanyu Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dr. Luis María Argaña International Airport), and is located 12,299 miles (19,794 kilometers) away in Mariscal Estigarribia, Paraguay.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• 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 covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.