Nonstop flight route between Mokhotlong, Lesotho and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mokhotlong Airport (MKH), Mokhotlong, Lesotho and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,606 miles (or 17,069 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 Mokhotlong Airport and Castle 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 Mokhotlong Airport and Castle 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 Mokhotlong Airport (MKH):

• Because of Mokhotlong Airport's high elevation of 7,200 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MKH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MKH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) is Lebakeng Airport (LEF), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) SSW of MKH.
• The furthest airport from Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,770 miles (18,942 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• 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 is a public use airport located seven nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Merced, a city in Merced County, California, United States.
• 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.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• 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.
• 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.