Nonstop flight route between Sioux City, Iowa, United States and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX), Sioux City, Iowa, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,486 miles (or 7,220 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 Sioux Gateway 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 Sioux Gateway 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 Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX):

• In addition to being known as "Sioux Gateway Airport", another name for SUX is "Colonel Bud Day Field".
• The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport since it has over 10,000 passenger boardings per year.
• By the mid-1960s ADC was reducing its forces, and on April 1, 1966 the 31st AD was reassigned and the airport was turned over to the Air Force Reserve and Iowa Air National Guard for limited military use.
• In the year ending November 30, 2012 the airport had 18,258 aircraft operations, an average of 50 per day.
• Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX) has 2 runways.
• American Airlines announced on December 9, 2011 that their subsidiary, American Eagle Airlines, would begin serving Sioux City from Chicago O'Hare in the spring of 2012.
• The furthest airport from Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,641 miles (17,125 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX) is Le Mars Municipal Airport (LRJ), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) NNE of SUX.
• Sioux Gateway Airport, also known as Colonel Bud Day Field, is a public and military use airport in Woodbury County, Iowa, United States.

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

• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Normally, only a certain number of the E-3As and TCAs are present at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen at any given time.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.