Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Belo Horizonte, Brazil:
Departure Airport:
(37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W)
Arrival Airport:
(19°51'6"S by 43°57'2"W)
Distance from MER to PLU:
6,349.78 miles (10,218.96 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- PLU Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about PLU
- 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 PLU
- List of Nearest Airports to PLU
- Map of Furthest Airports from PLU
- List of Furthest Airports from PLU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport (PLU), Belo Horizonte, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,350 miles (or 10,219 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 Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade 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 Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade 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: | PLU / SBBH |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
| GPS Coordinates: | 19°51'6"S by 43°57'2"W |
| Area Served: | Belo Horizonte |
| Operator/Owner: | Infraero |
| Airport Type: | Public/Military |
| Elevation: | 2589 feet (789 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PLU |
| More Information: | PLU Maps & Info |
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
Facts about Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport (PLU):
- Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport (PLU) currently has only 1 runway.
- Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport handled 989,599 passengers last year.
- The closest airport to Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport (PLU) is Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport (CNF), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) N of PLU.
- However, due to the long distance between Belo Horizonte and Confins, Pampulha remained the airport of choice for most airlines, eventually becoming overcrowded, while Confins was under-used.
- The furthest airport from Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport (PLU) is Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2 (IWO), which is located 11,958 miles (19,244 kilometers) away in Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan.
- In addition to being known as "Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade Airport", another name for PLU is "Aeroporto de Belo Horizonte/Pampulha–Carlos Drummond de Andrade".
- In 1943 the runway was extended to 1,500m x 45m, in 1953 to 1,700m, and finally in 1961 to 2,505m.
| 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 | 15.81 miles (25.45 km) N | Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport (CNF) | Confins (near Belo Horizonte), Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 2 | 63.90 miles (102.83 km) WSW | Brigadeiro Cabral Airport (DIQ) | Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 3 | 98.74 miles (158.90 km) ENE | Usiminas Airport (IPN) | Ipatinga / Santana do Paraiso, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 4 | 125.29 miles (201.64 km) SSE | Presidente Itamar Franco Airport (IZA) | Juiz de Fora, Brazil | |
| 5 | 138.99 miles (223.69 km) SSE | Francisco Álvares de Assis Airport (JDF) | Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 6 | 144.04 miles (231.81 km) ENE | Coronel Altino Machado de Oliveira Airport (GVR) | Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 7 | 155.20 miles (249.76 km) SW | Major-Brigadeiro Trompowsky Airport (VAG) | Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 8 | 184.68 miles (297.22 km) WNW | Pedro Pereira dos Santos Airport (POJ) | Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 9 | 191.49 miles (308.17 km) ESE | Raimundo de Andrade Airport (CDI) | Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil | |
| 10 | 197.14 miles (317.27 km) W | Romeu Zema Airport (AAX) | Araxá, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| 11 | 209.29 miles (336.81 km) SSE | Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG) | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| 12 | 213.23 miles (343.16 km) SE | Campos–Bartolomeu Lysandro Airport (CAW) | Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| 13 | 213.35 miles (343.35 km) S | Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) | Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| 14 | 217.30 miles (349.71 km) SSE | Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| 15 | 217.52 miles (350.06 km) N | Montes Claros/Mário Ribeiro Airport (MOC) | Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,957.52 miles (19,243.71 km) NW | Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2 (IWO) | Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan | |
| 2 | 11,922.72 miles (19,187.71 km) NE | Minami-Daito Airport (MMD) | Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan | |
| 3 | 11,919.67 miles (19,182.79 km) NE | Kitadaito Airport (KTD) | Kitadaito, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan | |
| 4 | 11,746.03 miles (18,903.36 km) NE | Naha Airport (OKA) | Okinawa, Japan | |
| 5 | 11,745.39 miles (18,902.32 km) NE | Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) | Okinawa Prefecture, Japan | |
| 6 | 11,736.04 miles (18,887.27 km) NNE | Kikai Airport (KKX) | Kikaiga Shima, Kikai-Shima Island, Japan | |
| 7 | 11,729.88 miles (18,877.37 km) NE | Iejima Airport (IEJ) | Iejima, Japan | |
| 8 | 11,729.71 miles (18,877.09 km) NE | Kerama Airport (KJP) | Kerama Islands, Okinawa, Japan | |
| 9 | 11,722.63 miles (18,865.70 km) WNW | Tinian International Airport (TIQ) | Tinian Island, Northern Mariana Islands | |
| 10 | 11,722.32 miles (18,865.20 km) NNE | Amami Airport (ASJ) | Amami Island, Japan | |
| 11 | 11,720.21 miles (18,861.81 km) WNW | Saipan International Airport (SPN) | Saipan Island, Northern Mariana Islands | |
| 12 | 11,714.07 miles (18,851.92 km) WNW | Rota International Airport (ROP) | Rota Island, Northern Mariana Islands | |
| 13 | 11,713.21 miles (18,850.53 km) NNW | Falalop Airfield (ULI) | Falalop Island, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | |
| 14 | 11,709.91 miles (18,845.23 km) NW | Guam International Airport (GUM) | Hagåtña, Guam | |
| 15 | 11,709.39 miles (18,844.39 km) NE | Aguni Airport (AGJ) | Aguni, Japan | |