Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Coondewanna, Western Australia, Australia:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to CJF:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- CJF Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about CJF
- 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 CJF
- List of Nearest Airports to CJF
- Map of Furthest Airports from CJF
- List of Furthest Airports from CJF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Coondewanna Airport (CJF), Coondewanna, Western Australia, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,814 miles (or 14,184 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 Coondewanna 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 Coondewanna Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
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: | CJF / YCWA |
Airport Name: | Coondewanna Airport |
Location: | Coondewanna, Western Australia, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 22°58'0"S by 118°48'7"E |
Operator/Owner: | BHP Billiton Iron Ore |
Elevation: | 2327 feet (709 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CJF |
More Information: | CJF 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.
- 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.
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- 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 closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- 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.
Facts about Coondewanna Airport (CJF):
- The furthest airport from Coondewanna Airport (CJF) is Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA), which is nearly antipodal to Coondewanna Airport (meaning Coondewanna Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport), and is located 12,087 miles (19,451 kilometers) away in The Valley, Anguilla.
- The closest airport to Coondewanna Airport (CJF) is Barimunya Airport (BYP), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) NE of CJF.
- Coondewanna Airport (CJF) currently has only 1 runway.