Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Qaisumah, Hafar Al-Batin, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Qaisumah Domestic Airport (AQI), Qaisumah, Hafar Al-Batin, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,815 miles (or 12,577 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 Qaisumah Domestic 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 Qaisumah Domestic 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):

• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• 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.

Facts about Qaisumah Domestic Airport (AQI):

• The furthest airport from Qaisumah Domestic Airport (AQI) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to Qaisumah Domestic Airport (meaning Qaisumah Domestic Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,069 miles (19,423 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Qaisumah Domestic Airport (AQI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport began in 1962 as a dusty runway for a Dakota aircraft which was used at that time for transporting Saudi Aramco employees between stations in the northern region.
• The closest airport to Qaisumah Domestic Airport (AQI) is Kuwait International Airport (KWI), which is located 128 miles (206 kilometers) ENE of AQI.
• In addition to being known as "Qaisumah Domestic Airport", another name for AQI is "مطار القيصومة المحلي".