Nonstop flight route between Liberal, Kansas, United States and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL), Liberal, Kansas, United States and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,077 miles (or 1,734 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 relatively short distance between Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport and Castle Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL):

• The closest airport to Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL) is Guymon Municipal Airport (GUY), which is located 39 miles (63 kilometers) SW of LBL.
• As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 7,911 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 6,255 in 2009, and 7,156 in 2010.
• The furthest airport from Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,914 miles (17,564 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Airline flights began in 1956.
• During World War II the facility was Liberal Army Airfield and was used for United States Army Air Forces Second Air Force B-24 Liberator training from 1943 to 1945.
• Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL) has 2 runways.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• 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.