Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Alamosa, Colorado, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to ALS:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- ALS Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about ALS
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
- Map of Furthest Airports from MER
- List of Furthest Airports from MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to ALS
- List of Nearest Airports to ALS
- Map of Furthest Airports from ALS
- List of Furthest Airports from ALS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS), Alamosa, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 806 miles (or 1,297 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 relatively short distance between Castle Airport and San Luis Valley Regional Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure 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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | ALS / KALS |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Alamosa, Colorado, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°26'6"N by 105°51'59"W |
Area Served: | Alamosa, Colorado |
Operator/Owner: | City and County of Alamosa |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 7539 feet (2,298 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from ALS |
More Information: | ALS Maps & Info |
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.
- 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.
- 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 EPA currently has this base listed on their database due to the bulk wastes such as solvents, oils, fuels, and sludges which were disposed in pits at landfills around the base until 1977.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- Since the mid-1940s, aircraft maintenance, fuel management, and fire training activities on the base have generated wastes that consist primarily of waste fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
Facts about San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS):
- In addition to being known as "San Luis Valley Regional Airport", another name for ALS is "Bergman Field".
- The closest airport to San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) is Stevens Field (FAA: PSO) (PGO), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) W of ALS.
- San Luis Valley Regional Airport is two miles south of Alamosa, in Alamosa County, Colorado.
- Because of San Luis Valley Regional Airport's high elevation of 7,539 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ALS. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ALS a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,054 miles (17,790 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.