Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Kajaani, Finland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Kajaani Airport (KAJ), Kajaani, Finland would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,203 miles (or 8,373 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 Kajaani 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 Kajaani 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):

• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.

Facts about Kajaani Airport (KAJ):

• The closest airport to Kajaani Airport (KAJ) is Oulu Airport (OUL), which is located 82 miles (132 kilometers) NW of KAJ.
• Kajaani Airport handled 74,558 passengers last year.
• Kajaani Airport (KAJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Kajaani Airport's relatively low elevation of 483 feet, planes can take off or land at Kajaani 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 Kajaani Airport (KAJ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,739 miles (17,283 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Kajaani Airport", another name for KAJ is "Kajaanin lentoasema".