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

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to BLH:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- BLH Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about BLH
- 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 BLH
- List of Nearest Airports to BLH
- Map of Furthest Airports from BLH
- List of Furthest Airports from BLH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 420 miles (or 675 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 Blythe 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: | BLH / KBLH |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Blythe, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°36'52"N by 114°42'47"W |
Area Served: | Blythe, California |
Operator/Owner: | County of Riverside |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 399 feet (122 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from BLH |
More Information: | BLH Maps & Info |
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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.
- Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
Facts about Blythe Airport (BLH):
- The furthest airport from Blythe Airport (BLH) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,472 miles (18,462 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Blythe Airport (BLH) is Laguna Army Airfield (LGF), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) SSE of BLH.
- The airport was leased by the United States Army in 1942 and between 1942 and 1944, the U.S.
- Blythe was served by Bonanza Air Lines with Fairchild F-27s to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson and other cities.
- In addition to being known as "Blythe Airport", another name for BLH is "(former Blythe Army Air Field)".
- Blythe Airport covers 3,904 acres at an elevation of 399 feet.
- The airfield was declared surplus in 1946 and was reported to the General Service Administration for disposal.
- Blythe Airport (BLH) has 2 runways.
- Because of Blythe Airport's relatively low elevation of 399 feet, planes can take off or land at Blythe 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.