Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to FSM:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- FSM Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about FSM
- 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 FSM
- List of Nearest Airports to FSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from FSM
- List of Furthest Airports from FSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM), Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,460 miles (or 2,350 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 Fort Smith Regional 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: | FSM / KFSM |
Airport Name: | Fort Smith Regional Airport |
Location: | Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°20'12"N by 94°22'3"W |
Area Served: | Fort Smith, Arkansas |
Operator/Owner: | Fort Smith Airport Commission |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 469 feet (143 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from FSM |
More Information: | FSM Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- 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 Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM):
- Since 1953, FSM has been the proud home to Fort Smith Air National Guard Station and the 188th Fighter Wing, an Air Combat Command -gained unit of the Arkansas Air National Guard.
- Because of Fort Smith Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 469 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Smith Regional 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 Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,765 miles (17,324 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) has 2 runways.
- Air Traffic services are provided by the Federal Aviation Administration from an Air Traffic Control Tower and TRACON.
- The closest airport to Fort Smith Regional Airport (FSM) is Robert S. Kerr Airport (RKR), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SSW of FSM.