Nonstop flight route between Ontario (near Los Angeles), California, United States and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT), Ontario (near Los Angeles), California, United States and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 284 miles (or 456 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 LA/Ontario International Airport and Castle Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT):

• Because of LA/Ontario International Airport's relatively low elevation of 944 feet, planes can take off or land at LA/Ontario International 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.
• In early 2011 Southwest Airlines carried 54% of the passengers.
• The closest airport to LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) is Chino Airport (CNO), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) SSW of ONT.
• LA/Ontario International Airport handled 4,812,006 passengers last year.
• LA/Ontario has few noise restrictions/abatement rules, unlike other Southern California airports such as John Wayne Airport, Bob Hope Airport, Long Beach Airport, and San Diego International Airport, which all have very strict policies.
• LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,460 miles (18,443 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In 1981, a second east-west runway, 26L/8R, was built, necessitating the removal of the old NE-SW runway 4/22.

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.
• 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 covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
• 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.
• 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.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.