Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Pasco, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Tri-Cities Airport (PSC), Pasco, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 618 miles (or 995 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 Tri-Cities Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
• 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.
• 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.
• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Tri-Cities Airport (PSC):

• Pasco has had jet flights on several airlines, including Air West and Hughes Airwest with Douglas DC-9s, Cascade Airways with BAC One-Elevens, Delta Airlines with Boeing 727-200s and 737-300s, Alaska Airlines with Boeing 727s,Horizon Air with Fokker F-28s and West Coast Airlines with DC-9s.
• The furthest airport from Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,781 miles (17,350 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) is Richland Airport (RLD), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) WNW of PSC.
• General and corporate aviation are important to PSC and they have many facilities to accommodate them.
• Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) has 3 runways.
• Because of Tri-Cities Airport's relatively low elevation of 407 feet, planes can take off or land at Tri-Cities 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.