Nonstop flight route between Redding, California, United States and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD), Redding, California, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,391 miles (or 8,676 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield 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 Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD):

• Because of Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 505 feet, planes can take off or land at Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army 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.
• Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD) has 2 runways.
• SkyWest operating as United Express now offers the only scheduled passenger flights at Redding Municipal utilizing Embraer EMB-120 turboprops to San Francisco.
• On 19 December 1945 the military declared Redding AAF excess and on 18 November 1946 it was turned over to the City of Redding for a civil airfield.
• The furthest airport from Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,201 miles (18,026 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Redding Municipal AirportRedding Army Airfield (RDD) is Red Bluff Municipal Airport (RBL), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) S of RDD.

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

• Flying operations at Geilenkirchen ended in January 1968 and the installation was handed over to the German Air Force in March 1968.
• 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.
• 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.
• Following NATO’s decision to establish the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force program and to make the base near Teveren the Main Operating Base of the E­3A Component, a major construction program was started in 1980 to modify the operational and support facilities.
• The fleet of E-3's has remained in operation since the Cold War and has adapted its mission to emerging security threats, primarily in European airspace.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• Major construction on the base initially included a new 3,000-metre runway with a width of 45 metres, as well as aprons and taxiways, a control tower, an Information Technology Wing building, on-base accommodation and major renovation of the four existing hangars.
• 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.