Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Nordkapp, Finnmark, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG), Nordkapp, Finnmark, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,768 miles (or 7,673 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan, 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan. 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):

• 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 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.

Facts about Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG):

• The airport is located at Valan, 3 kilometers from Honningsvåg.
• In addition to being known as "Honningsvåg Airport, Valan", another name for HVG is "Honningsvåg lufthavn, Valan".
• Honningsvåg Airport, Valan handled 15,067 passengers last year.
• Honningsvåg is served by Widerøe, which operates 39-seat Dash 8-100 aircraft to other communities in Finnmark and to Tromsø.
• Because of Honningsvåg Airport, Valan's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Honningsvåg Airport, Valan 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 first flight in Nordkapp took place during the summer of 1926, when a German cruise ship SS Oceania used its on-board Junkers F-13 seaplane to fly tourists sightseeing.
• The closest airport to Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG) is Mehamn Airport (MEH), which is located 41 miles (67 kilometers) E of HVG.
• The furthest airport from Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,409 miles (16,751 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Widerøe originally served the airport with twenty-seat Twin Otters, serving Honningsvåg up to six times per day.