Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Olbia, Italy:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB), Olbia, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,177 miles (or 9,940 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 Olbia Costa Smeralda 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 Olbia Costa Smeralda 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):

• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
• 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 Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.

Facts about Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB):

• Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport", another name for OLB is "Aeroporto di Olbia-Costa Smeralda".
• Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport handled 1,887,640 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) is Figari-Sud Corse Airport (Figari South Corsica Airport) (FSC), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) NNW of OLB.
• The furthest airport from Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (meaning Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,071 miles (19,426 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport's relatively low elevation of 37 feet, planes can take off or land at Olbia Costa Smeralda 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.