Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Fallon, Nevada, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to NFL:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- NFL Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about NFL
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
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- List of Furthest Airports from MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to NFL
- List of Nearest Airports to NFL
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- List of Furthest Airports from NFL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Naval Air Station Fallon (NFL), Fallon, Nevada, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 174 miles (or 279 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 relatively short distance between Castle Airport and Naval Air Station Fallon, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
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: | NFL / KNFL |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Fallon, Nevada, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 39°25'29"N by 118°42'10"W |
Operator/Owner: | United States Navy |
Airport Type: | Military: Naval Air Station |
Elevation: | 3934 feet (1,199 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from NFL |
More Information: | NFL Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- 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 Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
- The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Naval Air Station Fallon (NFL):
- The navy maintains the Naval Air Station Fallon Air Park museum on the base.
- The furthest airport from Naval Air Station Fallon (NFL) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,140 miles (17,928 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Naval Air Station Fallon (NFL) has 3 runways.
- In addition to being known as "Naval Air Station Fallon", another name for NFL is "Van Voorhis Field".
- The Navy relocated its Navy Fighter Weapons School, or TOPGUN, from NAS Miramar to NAS Fallon in 1996, following the transfer of NAS Miramar to the Marine Corps and its redesignation as MCAS Miramar.
- Between 1956 and 1975, the United States Air Force Air Defense Command operated a General Surveillance Radar station at NAS Fallon.
- The closest airport to Naval Air Station Fallon (NFL) is Fallon Municipal Airport (FLX), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) NNW of NFL.