Nonstop flight route between Riverside, California, United States and Atwater, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from RIV to MER:
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- About this route
- RIV Airport Information
- MER Airport Information
- Facts about RIV
- Facts about MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to RIV
- List of Nearest Airports to RIV
- Map of Furthest Airports from RIV
- List of Furthest Airports from RIV
- Map of Nearest Airports to MER
- List of Nearest Airports to MER
- Map of Furthest Airports from MER
- List of Furthest Airports from MER
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between March Air Reserve Base (RIV), Riverside, California, United States and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 305 miles (or 491 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 March Air Reserve Base and Castle Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RIV / KRIV |
| Airport Name: | March Air Reserve Base |
| Location: | Riverside, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°52'50"N by 117°15'33"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from RIV |
| More Information: | RIV Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MER / KMER |
| Airport Name: | Castle Airport |
| Location: | Atwater, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation, and Economic Development |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 191 feet (58 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MER |
| More Information: | MER Maps & Info |
Facts about March Air Reserve Base (RIV):
- The establishment of March Air Force Base began in the early 20th century at a time when the United States was rushing to build up its military forces in anticipation of an entry into World War I.
- However, by 1921, the decision had been made to phase down all activities at the base in accordance with sharply reduced military budgets.
- The first flying squadron was the 215th Aero Squadron, which was transferred from Rockwell Field, North Island, California.
- The new F-86A fighter developed numerous teething troubles during its first months of service, but 1st Fighter Group mechanics gradually overcame these difficulties.
- In the decade before World War II, March Field took on much of its current appearance and also began to gain prominence.
- The closest airport to March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Flabob Airport (RIR), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) NW of RIV.
- Civilian agency flight activities include a permanently based U.S.
- The furthest airport from March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,461 miles (18,445 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- The host unit at March is the Air Force Reserve's 452d Air Mobility Wing, which in addition to its operational flying mission, also provides host base support for numerous tenant units.
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- EPA investigations have been completed at multiple areas of contamination including landfills, discharge areas, chemical disposal areas, fire training areas, fuel spill areas, and polychlorinated biphenyl spill areas.
- Castle Airport covers an area of 1,360 acres which contains one runway with an 11,802 x 150 ft asphalt and concrete pavement.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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 (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
