Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MER to YCD:
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- About this route
- MER Airport Information
- YCD Airport Information
- Facts about MER
- Facts about YCD
- 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 YCD
- List of Nearest Airports to YCD
- Map of Furthest Airports from YCD
- List of Furthest Airports from YCD
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Nanaimo Airport (YCD), Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 823 miles (or 1,325 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 Nanaimo Airport, 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: | YCD / CYCD |
Airport Name: | Nanaimo Airport |
Location: | Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 49°3'15"N by 123°52'12"W |
Operator/Owner: | Nanaimo Airport Commission |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 92 feet (28 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from YCD |
More Information: | YCD Maps & Info |
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- It serves one school, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, which specializes in training foreign pilots, from the People's Republic of China.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
Facts about Nanaimo Airport (YCD):
- Nanaimo Airport, is located 7 nautical miles south southeast of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada at 3350 Spitfire Road,Cassidy.
- The closest airport to Nanaimo Airport (YCD) is Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport (ZNA), which is located only 8 miles (14 kilometers) NNW of YCD.
- The furthest airport from Nanaimo Airport (YCD) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,705 miles (17,228 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- Nanaimo Airport (YCD) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Nanaimo Airport's relatively low elevation of 92 feet, planes can take off or land at Nanaimo 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.