Nonstop flight route between Merced, California, United States and Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, Panama:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Merced Regional Airport (MCE), Merced, California, United States and Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (CHX), Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, Panama would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,046 miles (or 4,902 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 Merced Regional Airport and Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International 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 Merced Regional Airport and Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International 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 Merced Regional Airport (MCE):

• Merced Regional Airport (MCE) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Merced Regional Airport", another name for MCE is "MacReady Field".
• In 1941 construction delays at the Air Corps Basic Flying School site forced the Army to lease the original Merced Municipal Airport, resulting in the first aircraft assigned to the Air Corps Basic Flying School being stored at Merced Municipal Airport and giving the Basic Flying School its first usable axillary field.
• The furthest airport from Merced Regional Airport (MCE) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,314 miles (18,209 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Because of Merced Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 155 feet, planes can take off or land at Merced Regional 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.
• During the 1950s the airport was used to service United States Armed Forces aircraft, and a land acquisition in February 1955 allowed runway 12/30 to be extended.
• The Department of Transportation reselected Great Lakes Airlines to provide Essential Air Service at Merced Regional Airport for the two-year period from October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2014.
• Between 1957 and 2007, Merced Regional Airport hosted the annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In.
• The airport had 3,724 passenger boardings in 2012, an increase of 17% from the previous calendar year.
• The closest airport to Merced Regional Airport (MCE) is Castle Airport (MER), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) NNW of MCE.
• United's DC-3s were replaced by Convair 340s and Douglas DC-6s, and eventually by Boeing 737-200 jetliners in 1968-69.

Facts about Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (CHX):

• Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (CHX) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International 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 Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (CHX) is Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport (BOC), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) ESE of CHX.
• The furthest airport from Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (CHX) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport (meaning Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,244 miles (19,704 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño" International Airport", another name for CHX is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Changuinola "Capitan Manuel Niño"".