Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and College Park, Maryland, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to CGS:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- CGS Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about CGS
- 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 CGS
- List of Nearest Airports to CGS
- Map of Furthest Airports from CGS
- List of Furthest Airports from CGS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and College Park Airport (CGS), College Park, Maryland, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,350 miles (or 3,782 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 College Park 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: | CGS / KCGS |
Airport Name: | College Park Airport |
Location: | College Park, Maryland, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°58'50"N by 76°55'20"W |
Operator/Owner: | Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 48 feet (15 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CGS |
More Information: | CGS Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (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 closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- 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 (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- 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 College Park Airport (CGS):
- In 1937, the Engineering & Research Corporation, based in nearby Riverdale, Maryland, used the airport to test fly the early model of the Ercoupe, an airplane designed to be spin-proof.
- College Park Airport (CGS) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of College Park Airport's relatively low elevation of 48 feet, planes can take off or land at College Park 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 College Park Airport (CGS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,684 miles (18,803 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to College Park Airport (CGS) is Bolling Air Force Base (BOF), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) SSW of CGS.
- In 1911, the nation's first military aviation school was opened at College Park, with newly trained pilots then-Lt.