Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Panama City, Florida, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to ECP:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- ECP Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about ECP
- 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 ECP
- List of Nearest Airports to ECP
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- List of Furthest Airports from ECP
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Panama City, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,041 miles (or 3,284 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 Northwest Florida Beaches International 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: | ECP / KECP |
Airport Name: | Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport |
Location: | Panama City, Florida, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 30°21'29"N by 85°47'44"W |
Area Served: | Panama City / Panama City Beach |
Operator/Owner: | Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 68 feet (21 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from ECP |
More Information: | ECP Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- 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 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.
- 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.
Facts about Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP):
- Runway 16/34 is the only runway.
- The closest airport to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is Panama City–Bay County International Airport (PFN), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) SSE of ECP.
- The relocation of the airport was controversial in Bay County.
- The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is a public airport 18 miles northwest of Panama City, in Bay County.
- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) currently has only 1 runway.
- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport handled 85,600 passengers last year.
- The elevation for Runway 16 is 68.6 feet.
- Because of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport's relatively low elevation of 68 feet, planes can take off or land at Northwest Florida Beaches 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.
- The furthest airport from Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,218 miles (18,054 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
- The airport opened for commercial flights on May 23, 2010 and is the first international airport in the United States designed and built since the September 11 attacks.
- Southwest Airlines began service in May 2010 with 8 daily flights, 2 each to Baltimore-Washington, Houston-Hobby, Nashville and Orlando.
- General aviation is handled at the general aviation facility south of the main passenger terminal.