Nonstop flight route between Atwater, California, United States and Ancud, Los Lagos Region, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States and Pupelde Airfield (ZUD), Ancud, Los Lagos Region, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,220 miles (or 10,010 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 Pupelde Airfield, 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 Pupelde Airfield. 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):

• 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 was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
• The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.

Facts about Pupelde Airfield (ZUD):

• The furthest airport from Pupelde Airfield (ZUD) is Wuhai Airport (WUA), which is nearly antipodal to Pupelde Airfield (meaning Pupelde Airfield is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Wuhai Airport), and is located 12,288 miles (19,775 kilometers) away in Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, China.
• The closest airport to Pupelde Airfield (ZUD) is Mocopulli Airport (MHC), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) S of ZUD.
• In addition to being known as "Pupelde Airfield", other names for ZUD include "Pupelde Airfield (Ancud)" and "Aeródromo Pupelde".
• Because of Pupelde Airfield's relatively low elevation of 375 feet, planes can take off or land at Pupelde Airfield 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.
• Pupelde Airfield (ZUD) currently has only 1 runway.