Nonstop flight route between Shell Mera, Ecuador and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ), Shell Mera, Ecuador and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,043 miles (or 9,725 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 Rio Amazonas Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component, 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 Rio Amazonas Airport and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component. 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 Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ):

• In addition to being known as "Rio Amazonas Airport", other names for PTZ include "Areopuerto Rio Amazonas" and "SESM".
• Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ) is Pinang Kampai Airport (DUM), which is nearly antipodal to Rio Amazonas Airport (meaning Rio Amazonas Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Pinang Kampai Airport), and is located 12,401 miles (19,958 kilometers) away in Dumai, Sumatra, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ) is Chachoan Airport (ATF), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) WNW of PTZ.

Facts about NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE):

• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The Component’s multinational, fully integrated workforce consists of more than 3,000 military and civilian personnel from 16 NATO member nations.
• The closest airport to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Merzbrück Airfield (AAH), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of GKE.
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• The furthest airport from NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,929 miles (19,198 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The Component operates seventeen Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft all of which are based on the Boeing 707 airframe Trainer Cargo Aircraft but which have since been retired).
• Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.
• Because of NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component's relatively low elevation of 296 feet, planes can take off or land at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component 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 January 1980 the first E-3A Component personnel started arriving at the base, and in October 1980 the NATO Defence Planning Committee granted the E-3A Component the status of a NATO International Military Headquarters.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.