Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Dalian, Liaoning, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC), Dalian, Liaoning, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,851 miles (or 9,416 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 Dalian Zhoushuizi 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 Dalian Zhoushuizi 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 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 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.
• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
• 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.

Facts about Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC):

• Because of Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport's relatively low elevation of 108 feet, planes can take off or land at Dalian Zhoushuizi 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.
• On May 7, 2002, China Northern flight 6136 was en route from Beijing to Dalian when it crashed into a bay near Dalian, killing everyone aboard.
• Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport handled 10,703,640 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport", other names for DLC include "大连周水子国际机场" and "Dàlián Zhōushuǐzǐ Guójì Jīchǎng".
• The furthest airport from Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC) is Necochea Airport (NEC), which is nearly antipodal to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (meaning Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Necochea Airport), and is located 12,398 miles (19,953 kilometers) away in Necochea, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• The closest airport to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC) is Changhai Airport (CNI), which is located 64 miles (103 kilometers) ENE of DLC.
• Immediately after the Aviation law of 1927, the Japanese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications began planning for scheduled domestic transport, resulting in opening airports in Tokyo and Fukuoka, and for international transport of the Tokyo - Dalian and Osaka - Shanghai routes.
• Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC) currently has only 1 runway.