Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Gomel, Belarus:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Gomel Airport (GME), Gomel, Belarus would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,994 miles (or 9,647 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 Gomel 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 Gomel 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):

• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• 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 Gomel Airport (GME):

• The closest airport to Gomel Airport (GME) is Chernihiv Airport (CEJ), which is located 78 miles (125 kilometers) S of GME.
• Because of Gomel Airport's relatively low elevation of 472 feet, planes can take off or land at Gomel 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.
• Gomel Airport (GME) currently has only 1 runway.
• Gomel Airport is an airport located 3 km north-east from Gomel, the second-largest city in Belarus.
• Besides Belarusian air companies, Latvian flag carrier "airBaltic" serviced flights between Gomel and Riga in 2006, but this destination is now defunct.
• The furthest airport from Gomel Airport (GME) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,046 miles (17,777 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Gomel Airport", other names for GME include "Аэрапорт Гомель" and "Аэропорт Гомель".
• Gomel airport was a hub of a regional air company "Gomelavia", which ceased operations on 22 February 2011 due to bankruptcy.