Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and São José dos Campos, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK), São José dos Campos, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,403 miles (or 10,305 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 São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf 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 São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK):

• In addition to being known as "São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport", another name for SJK is "Aeroporto de São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf".
• The furthest airport from São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK) is Minami-Daito Airport (MMD), which is nearly antipodal to São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (meaning São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Minami-Daito Airport), and is located 12,182 miles (19,604 kilometers) away in Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan.
• The closest airport to São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK) is São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) WSW of SJK.
• São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport handled 160,229 passengers last year.
• Operated by Infraero, the airport shares some facilities with the Brazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology, Embraer and the flying club of São José dos Campos.
• São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The passenger terminal has a capacity for 90,000/year and is served by a snack bar, taxis and public telephones.
• It has been certified for international cargo flights since 2000.