Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Kursk, Russia:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to URS:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- URS Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about URS
- 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 URS
- List of Nearest Airports to URS
- Map of Furthest Airports from URS
- List of Furthest Airports from URS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Vostochny Airport (URS), Kursk, Russia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,122 miles (or 9,852 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 Vostochny 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 Vostochny Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
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: | URS / UUOK |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Kursk, Russia |
GPS Coordinates: | 51°45'6"N by 36°17'48"E |
Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence Russian Air Force |
Airport Type: | Joint, Russian Air Force |
Elevation: | 686 feet (209 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from URS |
More Information: | URS Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of 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.
- 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 furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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.
Facts about Vostochny Airport (URS):
- In addition to being known as "Vostochny Airport", another name for URS is "Аэропорт Восточный".
- The furthest airport from Vostochny Airport (URS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,836 miles (17,439 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Vostochny Airport (URS) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Vostochny Airport's relatively low elevation of 686 feet, planes can take off or land at Vostochny 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.
- The closest airport to Vostochny Airport (URS) is Belgorod International Airport (EGO), which is located 78 miles (125 kilometers) S of URS.