Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Seoul, South Korea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Gimpo International Airport (GMP), Seoul, South Korea would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,712 miles (or 9,193 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 Gimpo 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 Gimpo 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):

• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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 Gimpo International Airport (GMP):

• On 29 November 2003, scheduled services between Gimpo and Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo, Japan began.
• Because of Gimpo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 58 feet, planes can take off or land at Gimpo 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.
• Gimpo International Airport (GMP) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Gimpo International Airport", other names for GMP include "김포국제공항 金浦國際空港" and "Gimpo Gukje Gonghang Kimp'o Kukche Konghang".
• Kimpo played a major role during the Korean War, the USAF designated the airfield as Kimpo Air Base or K-14.
• The airport is located south of the Han River in western Seoul.
• The closest airport to Gimpo International Airport (GMP) is Gimpo International Airport (SEL), which is located only 0 mile (0 kilometer) N of GMP.
• On 21 September 1953 North Korean pilot No Kum-Sok defected in his MiG-15 landing at Kimpo.
• Gimpo International Airport handled 19,424,032 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Gimpo International Airport (GMP) is Villa Gesell Airport (VLG), which is nearly antipodal to Gimpo International Airport (meaning Gimpo International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Villa Gesell Airport), and is located 12,226 miles (19,676 kilometers) away in Villa Gesell, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Gimpo International Airport, commonly known as Gimpo Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some 15 km west of the Central District of Seoul.