Nonstop flight route between Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS), Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,936 miles (or 7,944 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 Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS):

• In addition to being known as "Steamboat Springs Airport", another name for SBS is "Bob Adams Field".
• The Civil Air Patrol has an office and aircraft at the airport.
• Steamboat Springs Airport had scheduled passenger flights to Denver on Rocky Mountain Airways 50-passenger de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7s.
• Because of Steamboat Springs Airport's high elevation of 6,882 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SBS. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SBS a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,891 miles (17,527 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS) is Yampa Valley Airport (HDN), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) W of SBS.
• Steamboat Springs Airport (SBS) currently has only 1 runway.

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

• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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 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.
• Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
• 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 E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• The E-3A Component directly employs more than 3,000 personnel at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen and therefore has a significant economic impact in the surrounding communities.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.