Nonstop flight route between Longana, Ambae Island, Pénama Province, Vanuatu and Atwater, California, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from LOD to MER:
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- About this route
- LOD Airport Information
- MER Airport Information
- Facts about LOD
- Facts about MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to LOD
- List of Nearest Airports to LOD
- Map of Furthest Airports from LOD
- List of Furthest Airports from LOD
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
- Map of Furthest Airports from MER
- List of Furthest Airports from MER
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Longana Airport (LOD), Longana, Ambae Island, Pénama Province, Vanuatu and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,888 miles (or 9,476 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 Longana 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 Longana Airport and Castle Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LOD / NVSG |
Airport Name: | Longana Airport |
Location: | Longana, Ambae Island, Pénama Province, Vanuatu |
GPS Coordinates: | 15°18'24"S by 167°58'1"E |
Area Served: | Longana, Aoba Island, Vanuatu |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 167 feet (51 meters) |
View all routes: | Routes from LOD |
More Information: | LOD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MER / KMER |
Airport Name: | Castle Airport |
Location: | Atwater, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W |
Operator/Owner: | Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 191 feet (58 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MER |
More Information: | MER Maps & Info |
Facts about Longana Airport (LOD):
- The closest airport to Longana Airport (LOD) is Sara Airport (SSR), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) SE of LOD.
- Because of Longana Airport's relatively low elevation of 167 feet, planes can take off or land at Longana 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 Longana Airport (LOD) is Sélibaby Airport (SEY), which is nearly antipodal to Longana Airport (meaning Longana Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sélibaby Airport), and is located 12,422 miles (19,992 kilometers) away in Sélibaby, Mauritania.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.