Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Boa Vista, Cape Verde:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC), Boa Vista, Cape Verde would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,954 miles (or 9,582 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 Aristides Pereira 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 Aristides Pereira 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
• Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
• 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 Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC):

• In addition to being known as "Aristides Pereira International Airport", another name for BVC is "Aeroporto Internacional Aristides Pereira".
• Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC) is Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) N of BVC.
• The furthest airport from Aristides Pereira International Airport (BVC) is Bellona/Anua Airport (BNY), which is nearly antipodal to Aristides Pereira International Airport (meaning Aristides Pereira International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Bellona/Anua Airport), and is located 12,057 miles (19,404 kilometers) away in Anua, Bellona Island, Solomon Islands.
• The airport initially started operating in the late-20th century and was paved only in 2007.
• On 19 December 2007 a Livingston Airlines Airbus A321-200 made the first international arrival to Rabil from Verona, Italy.
• The airport was originally named Rabil Airport, but on 19 November 2011 it was renamed as a tribute to the first president of Cape Verde, Aristides Pereira.
• Because of Aristides Pereira International Airport's relatively low elevation of 69 feet, planes can take off or land at Aristides Pereira 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.