Nonstop flight route between Sandefjord / Stokke, Norway and Atwater, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF), Sandefjord / Stokke, Norway and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,196 miles (or 8,363 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 Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Castle Airport, 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 Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Castle Airport. 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 Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF):

• Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF) currently has only 1 runway.
• Following the Oslo Airport localization controversy in the 1980s and early 1990s, parliament decided to locate the new main airport for Eastern Norway at Gardermoen, north of Oslo.
• The closest airport to Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF) is Moss Airport, Rygge (RYG), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) NE of TRF.
• The furthest airport from Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,337 miles (18,245 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In 1957, NATO decided to build arsenals for nuclear weapons in all member countries, including Norway.
• Sandefjord Airport, Torp handled 1,345,732 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Sandefjord Airport, Torp", another name for TRF is "Sandefjord lufthavn, Torp".
• Because of Sandefjord Airport, Torp's relatively low elevation of 285 feet, planes can take off or land at Sandefjord Airport, Torp 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.
• Torp is also the home of Norway's only flying Douglas DC-3.
• Following World War II and Norway's membership in NATO, it became strategically important to build several new air stations in the country.

Facts about Castle Airport (MER):

• 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 EPA currently has this base listed on their database due to the bulk wastes such as solvents, oils, fuels, and sludges which were disposed in pits at landfills around the base until 1977.
• It was estimated that the cost to relocate the 129 RQW to Castle, to include associated military construction costs, could be recouped in seven years.
• 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.
• The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• With its central location in the San Joaquin Valley, on the route of the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, and with a large, underdeveloped site, Castle Airport has been submitted as a possible location for the central maintenance facility for the system.
• Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.