Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Riverside, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from MER to RAL:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- RAL Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about RAL
- 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 RAL
- List of Nearest Airports to RAL
- Map of Furthest Airports from RAL
- List of Furthest Airports from RAL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), Riverside, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 295 miles (or 474 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 Riverside Municipal Airport, 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: | RAL / KRAL |
| Airport Name: | Riverside Municipal Airport |
| Location: | Riverside, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°57'6"N by 117°26'41"W |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Riverside |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 818 feet (249 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RAL |
| More Information: | RAL Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- 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.
- 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 Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
Facts about Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL):
- Because of Riverside Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 818 feet, planes can take off or land at Riverside Municipal 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.
- Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL) has 2 runways.
- Runway 9/27 was paved about 1956 and Bonanza Air Lines appeared soon after.
- The closest airport to Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL) is Flabob Airport (RIR), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) NE of RAL.
- Should there be plans to expand, the Airport's Master Plan supports lengthening runway 9/27 to 6,153 feet.
- Riverside Municipal Airport, is four miles southwest of downtown Riverside, the county seat of Riverside County, California.
- The furthest airport from Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,462 miles (18,446 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
