Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Cherokee, Oklahoma, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field (CKA), Cherokee, Oklahoma, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,235 miles (or 1,988 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 Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Castle Airport (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.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• 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 airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• Since the mid-1940s, aircraft maintenance, fuel management, and fire training activities on the base have generated wastes that consist primarily of waste fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
• Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• 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.

Facts about Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field (CKA):

• The closest airport to Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field (CKA) is Anthony Municipal Airport (ANY), which is located 29 miles (47 kilometers) N of CKA.
• The furthest airport from Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field (CKA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,816 miles (17,407 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field (CKA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Vance AFB student pilots and instructor pilots use the airfield to practice landings in T-6A Texan II aircraft, and refer to the field with the callsign "Dogface".
• The installation was first known as the Great Salt Plains Auxiliary Field, but was renamed Kegelman in 1949.