Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,967 miles (or 14,431 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 Castle Airport and Addis Ababa Bole 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 Castle Airport and Addis Ababa Bole 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 Castle Airport (MER):

• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• 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.
• 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.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
• 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 (MER) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD):

• In addition to being known as "Addis Ababa Bole International Airport", another name for ADD is "አዲስ አበባ ቦሌ ዓለም አቀፍ አውሮፕላን ማረፊያ".
• Because of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport's high elevation of 7,656 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ADD. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ADD a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) is Mekane Selam Airport (MKS), which is located 121 miles (194 kilometers) N of ADD.
• The furthest airport from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is nearly antipodal to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (meaning Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Atuona Airport), and is located 12,278 miles (19,759 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.