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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM), Palm Springs, California, United States and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,620 miles (or 9,044 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 Jacqueline Cochran Regional 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 Jacqueline Cochran Regional 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 Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM):

• Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) has 2 runways.
• Today, Thermal is a municipal airport serving general aviation.
• The Navy closed Thermal on November 1, 1945, returning the field to the Army two months later.
• Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport covers an area of 1,850 acres at an elevation of 115 feet below mean sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport", another name for TRM is "(former Thermal Army Air Field)".
• Because of Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of -115 feet, planes can take off or land at Jacqueline Cochran Regional 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 Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,478 miles (18,472 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The airport was established in August 1942 at the beginning of World War II, and was used as an air support command base as part of the Desert Training Center in the Mojave Desert of Southern California.
• The closest airport to Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) is Bermuda Dunes Airport (UDD), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) NW of TRM.

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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.