Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Lahr, Baden-Württemberg, Germany:
Departure Airport:
(37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(48°22'9"N by 7°49'39"E)
Distance from MER to LHA:
5,718.62 miles (9,203.21 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- LHA Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about LHA
- 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 LHA
- List of Nearest Airports to LHA
- Map of Furthest Airports from LHA
- List of Furthest Airports from LHA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Black Forest Airport (LHA), Lahr, Baden-Württemberg, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,719 miles (or 9,203 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 Black Forest 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 Black Forest Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
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: | LHA / EDTL |
| Airport Name: | Black Forest Airport |
| Location: | Lahr, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
| GPS Coordinates: | 48°22'9"N by 7°49'39"E |
| Area Served: | Lahr, Germany |
| Operator/Owner: | Lahrer Flugbetriebs GmbH & Co. KG |
| Airport Type: | Commercial |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from LHA |
| More Information: | LHA Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- 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 is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
Facts about Black Forest Airport (LHA):
- Black Forest Airport (LHA) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Black Forest Airport (LHA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Black Forest Airport (meaning Black Forest Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,061 miles (19,410 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- The closest airport to Black Forest Airport (LHA) is Strasbourg International Airport (SXB), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) NW of LHA.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.26 miles (11.68 km) SSE | Merced Regional Airport (MCE) | Merced, California, United States |     |
| 2 | 27.12 miles (43.65 km) NW | Modesto City-County Airport (MOD) | Modesto, California, United States | |
| 3 | 27.51 miles (44.27 km) SW | Los Banos Municipal Airport (LSN) | Los Banos, California, United States | |
| 4 | 29.78 miles (47.92 km) W | NASA Crows Landing Airport (NRC) | Crows Landing, California, United States | |
| 5 | 36.91 miles (59.40 km) SE | Madera Municipal Airport (MAE) | Madera, California, United States | |
| 6 | 45.69 miles (73.53 km) N | Columbia Airport (COA) | Columbia, California, United States | |
| 7 | 51.03 miles (82.13 km) NW | Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK) | Stockton, California, United States | |
| 8 | 57.32 miles (92.24 km) SW | Hollister Municipal Airport (HLI) | Hollister, California, United States | |
| 9 | 60.88 miles (97.98 km) SE | Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH) | Fresno, California, United States | |
| 10 | 62.71 miles (100.91 km) SE | Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) | Fresno, California, United States | |
| 11 | 68.82 miles (110.76 km) W | Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) | San Jose, California, United States | |
| 12 | 71.93 miles (115.77 km) WNW | Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK) | Livermore, California, United States | |
| 13 | 73.96 miles (119.02 km) WSW | Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) | Watsonville, California, United States | |
| 14 | 74.75 miles (120.29 km) W | Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) | San Jose, California, United States | |
| 15 | 75.76 miles (121.93 km) SW | Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS) | Salinas, California, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,311.72 miles (18,204.41 km) SE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 2 | 11,301.64 miles (18,188.18 km) SSE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 3 | 11,273.49 miles (18,142.87 km) SSE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 4 | 11,260.93 miles (18,122.66 km) S | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 5 | 11,205.02 miles (18,032.69 km) SE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 11,196.39 miles (18,018.79 km) SSW | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 7 | 11,137.28 miles (17,923.67 km) SSE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| 8 | 11,111.96 miles (17,882.92 km) SE | Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) | Fianarantsoa, Madagascar | |
| 9 | 11,011.03 miles (17,720.49 km) SE | Manja Airport (MJA) | Manja, Menabe, Madagascar | |
| 10 | 11,008.37 miles (17,716.22 km) SE | Andavadoaka Airport (DVD) | Andavadoaka, Toliara province, Atsimo-Andrefana region, Madagascar | |
| 11 | 10,993.21 miles (17,691.82 km) SE | Morombe Airport (MXM) | Morombe, Madagascar | |
| 12 | 10,972.89 miles (17,659.11 km) SSE | Toamasino Airport (TMM) | Toamasina, Madagascar | |
| 13 | 10,963.56 miles (17,644.10 km) SSE | Ivato International Airport (TNR) | Antananarivo, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,945.21 miles (17,614.56 km) SE | Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) | Miandrivazo, Madagascar | |
| 15 | 10,920.84 miles (17,575.35 km) SE | Belo sur Tsiribihina Airport (BMD) | Belo sur Tsiribihina, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 14.86 miles (23.91 km) NW | Strasbourg International Airport (SXB) | Strasbourg, France | |
| 2 | 28.02 miles (45.09 km) SW | Colmar - Houssen Airport (CMR) | Colmar / Houssen, France | |
| 3 | 30.61 miles (49.26 km) NNE | Baden Airpark (FKB) | Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| 4 | 55.58 miles (89.45 km) SSW | EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (BSL) | Basel, Switzerland | |
| 5 | 55.58 miles (89.45 km) SSW | EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg (MLH) | Mulhouse, France | |
| 6 | 61.22 miles (98.53 km) NNW | Zweibrücken Airport (ZQW) | Zweibrücken, Germany | |
| 7 | 66.93 miles (107.71 km) NNW | Saarbrücken Airport (SCN) | Saarbrücken, Germany | |
| 8 | 67.53 miles (108.68 km) ENE | Stuttgart Airport (STR) | Stuttgart, Germany | |
| 9 | 68.20 miles (109.76 km) ENE | Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (ZWS) | Stuttgart, Germany | |
| 10 | 70.86 miles (114.05 km) SSE | Zurich Airport (ZRH) | Zürich, Switzerland | |
| 11 | 74.95 miles (120.63 km) N | Ramstein Air Base (RMS) | Ramstein, Germany | |
| 12 | 77.59 miles (124.87 km) SW | Montbéliard - Courcelles Aerodrome (XMF) | Montbéliard, France | |
| 13 | 80.10 miles (128.91 km) N | Sembach KaserneSembach Air Base (SEX) | Sembach, Germany | |
| 14 | 80.91 miles (130.22 km) W | Épinal - Mirecourt Airport (EPL) | Juvaincourt, Vosges, France | |
| 15 | 82.35 miles (132.53 km) NNE | Mannheim City Airport (MHG) | Mannheim, Germany | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,060.91 miles (19,410.11 km) SE | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,651.06 miles (18,750.51 km) SE | Hood Aerodrome (MRO) | Masterton, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,636.32 miles (18,726.80 km) ESE | Wellington International Airport (WLG) | Wellington, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,635.53 miles (18,725.52 km) ESE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,629.97 miles (18,716.58 km) ESE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,623.55 miles (18,706.24 km) SE | Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) | Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,618.08 miles (18,697.43 km) SE | Palmerston North Airport (PMR) | Palmerston North, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,616.53 miles (18,694.94 km) SE | Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE) | Napier, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,611.54 miles (18,686.92 km) ESE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,610.75 miles (18,685.64 km) E | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,608.18 miles (18,681.51 km) ESE | Woodbourne Airport (BHE) | Blenheim, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,605.64 miles (18,677.42 km) SE | Gisborne Airport (GIS) | Gisborne, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,598.48 miles (18,665.90 km) ESE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,593.39 miles (18,657.71 km) E | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,578.64 miles (18,633.96 km) SE | Wanganui Airport (WAG) | Wanganui, New Zealand | |