Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Le Puy-en-Velay / Loudes, Haute-Loire, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Le Puy - Loudes Airport (LPY), Le Puy-en-Velay / Loudes, Haute-Loire, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,768 miles (or 9,283 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 Le Puy - Loudes 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 Le Puy - Loudes 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):

• 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.
• 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 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
• 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.

Facts about Le Puy - Loudes Airport (LPY):

• The furthest airport from Le Puy - Loudes Airport (LPY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Le Puy - Loudes Airport (meaning Le Puy - Loudes Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,348 miles (19,873 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Le Puy - Loudes Airport (LPY) is Saint-Étienne–Bouthéon Airport (EBU), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) NE of LPY.
• In addition to being known as "Le Puy - Loudes Airport", another name for LPY is "Aéroport de Le Puy-en-Velay - Loudes".
• Le Puy - Loudes Airport (LPY) has 2 runways.