Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Sayak Airport (SOS), Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,045 miles (or 11,337 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 Sayak 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 Sayak 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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 Sayak Airport (SOS):

• Because of Sayak Airport's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Sayak 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.
• Sayak Airport handled 781 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Sayak Airport (SOS) is Surigao Airport (SUG), which is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) W of SOS.
• The furthest airport from Sayak Airport (SOS) is Orlando Villas-Bôas Regional Airport (MBK), which is nearly antipodal to Sayak Airport (meaning Sayak Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Orlando Villas-Bôas Regional Airport), and is located 12,368 miles (19,904 kilometers) away in Matupá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
• In addition to being known as "Sayak Airport", other names for SOS include "Paliparan ng Sayak", "IAO" and "RPNS".
• Sayak Airport (SOS) currently has only 1 runway.