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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY), Siena, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,099 miles (or 9,816 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 Siena-Ampugnano 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 Siena-Ampugnano 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):

• 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 furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The EPA currently has this base listed on their database due to the bulk wastes such as solvents, oils, fuels, and sludges which were disposed in pits at landfills around the base until 1977.
• 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.
• 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 airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.

Facts about Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY):

• Siena-Ampugnano Airport is a small military airfield near Siena, in Tuscany, Italy.
• The closest airport to Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY) is Grosseto Airport (GRS), which is located 36 miles (57 kilometers) SSW of SAY.
• Because of Siena-Ampugnano Airport's relatively low elevation of 634 feet, planes can take off or land at Siena-Ampugnano 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.
• Siena-Ampugnano Airport handled 3,745 passengers last year.
• Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Siena-Ampugnano Airport (meaning Siena-Ampugnano Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,049 miles (19,391 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Siena-Ampugnano Airport", other names for SAY include "Aeroporto di Siena-Ampugnano" and "Siena-Ampugnano".