Nonstop flight route between Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW), Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,263 miles (or 16,517 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 Moorabbin Harry Hawker 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 Moorabbin Harry Hawker 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 Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW):

• Because of Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport's relatively low elevation of 50 feet, planes can take off or land at Moorabbin Harry Hawker 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.
• Moorabbin Airport was renamed to Moorabbin Airport on 22 January 1989.
• Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW) has 5 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport", other names for MBW include "Harry Hawker Airport" and "Melbourne/Moorabbin Airport".
• The closest airport to Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW) is Essendon Airport (MEB), which is located 20 miles (33 kilometers) NNW of MBW.
• The furthest airport from Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (meaning Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,209 miles (19,649 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• The master plan for Moorabbin Airport was approved by the Minister for Infrastructure Anthony Albanese MP, on 25 June 2010.
• In 2006 Moorabbin Airport was named "Australian Regional Airport of the Year"
• Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport handled 9,766 passengers last year.

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

• Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
• 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.
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• 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.
• Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.
• 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.