Nonstop flight route between Wells, Nevada, United States and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wells Municipal Airport (LWL), Wells, Nevada, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,150 miles (or 8,288 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 Wells Municipal Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component, 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 Wells Municipal Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component. 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 Wells Municipal Airport (LWL):

• Wells Municipal Airport (LWL) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Wells Municipal Airport", another name for LWL is "Harriet Field".
• Because of Wells Municipal Airport's high elevation of 5,769 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at LWL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make LWL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Wells Municipal Airport (LWL) is Elko Regional Airport (EKO), which is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) WSW of LWL.
• The furthest airport from Wells Municipal Airport (LWL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,958 miles (17,634 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• In January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
• E-3A Component flying operations began in February 1982 after delivery of the first E­3A aircraft.
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• The E-3A Component directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
• The closest airport to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Merzbrück Airfield (AAH), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of GKE.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• The furthest airport from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,929 miles (19,198 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component's relatively low elevation of 296 feet, planes can take off or land at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component 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.