Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Valdosta, Georgia, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to VAD:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- VAD Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about VAD
- 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 VAD
- List of Nearest Airports to VAD
- Map of Furthest Airports from VAD
- List of Furthest Airports from VAD
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Moody Air Force Base (VAD), Valdosta, Georgia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,167 miles (or 3,488 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 Moody Air Force Base, 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: | VAD / KVAD |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Valdosta, Georgia, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 30°58'4"N by 83°11'34"W |
View all routes: | Routes from VAD |
More Information: | VAD Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- 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 (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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.
Facts about Moody Air Force Base (VAD):
- The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing is a non-flying active support wing activated on 25 January 2008.
- The furthest airport from Moody Air Force Base (VAD) is Kalbarri Airport (KAX), which is located 11,363 miles (18,286 kilometers) away in Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia.
- In addition to being known as "Moody Air Force Base", another name for VAD is "Moody AFB".
- On 1 September 1951, Moody was formally transferred from SAC to ATC.
- The closest airport to Moody Air Force Base (VAD) is Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) SSW of VAD.
- Moody Army Airfield was activated on 26 June 1941.
- The Air Force reorganized the MAJCOMs at the end of the Cold War, and on 1 June 1992 Moody was reassigned from the inactivating Tactical Air Command to the new Air Combat Command.