Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Douglas, Arizona, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Douglas Municipal Airport (DGL), Douglas, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 756 miles (or 1,216 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 Douglas Municipal Airport, 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Douglas Municipal Airport (DGL):

• During World War II, there were about 5,500 troops stationed at Douglas at any one time.
• Douglas Municipal Airport (DGL) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Douglas Municipal Airport (DGL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,522 miles (18,542 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Construction began on Douglas Municipal Airport in June 1942 for the United States Army Air Forces.
• A 1975 improvement project included replacement of the Medium Intensity Runway Lighting system for Runways 17-35 and 8-26.
• Graduates were then sent to III Bomber Command airfields in the southeast for group assignments on B-26 Marauder or B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, or twin-engined P-38 Lightning IV Fighter Command airfields along the West Coast.
• The closest airport to Douglas Municipal Airport (DGL) is Bisbee Douglas International Airport (DUG), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) NNW of DGL.
• In addition to being known as "Douglas Municipal Airport", another name for DGL is "Douglas Army Airfield".
• The ALP was updated by Blanton & Company of Tucson, Arizona in 1967.
• The 1943 photo of Douglas Army Airfield looks like Bisbee-Douglas International Airport, not the current Douglas Municipal Airport.
• Because of Douglas Municipal Airport's high elevation of 4,173 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at DGL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make DGL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.