Nonstop flight route between Victoria, Texas, United States and Atwater, California, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from VCT to MER:
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- About this route
- VCT Airport Information
- MER Airport Information
- Facts about VCT
- Facts about MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to VCT
- List of Nearest Airports to VCT
- Map of Furthest Airports from VCT
- List of Furthest Airports from VCT
- 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 Victoria Regional Airport (VCT), Victoria, Texas, United States and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,485 miles (or 2,389 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 Victoria Regional Airport and Castle Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | VCT / KVCT |
Airport Name: | Victoria Regional Airport |
Location: | Victoria, Texas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 28°51'8"N by 96°55'6"W |
Area Served: | Victoria, Texas |
Operator/Owner: | County of Victoria |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 115 feet (35 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from VCT |
More Information: | VCT 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 Victoria Regional Airport (VCT):
- Two of the largest businesses to locate at Victoria County Airport were the Devereux Foundation, a therapeutic-education center, and Gary Aircraft, which repaired surplus C-54 Skymaster aircraft in 1968.
- The local economy suffered greatly from the closure of Foster AFB.
- The closest airport to Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) is Palacios Municipal Airport (PSX), which is located 41 miles (67 kilometers) ESE of VCT.
- Because of Victoria Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 115 feet, planes can take off or land at Victoria 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.
- During the 1960s, the Victoria County Airport had regularly-scheduled passenger service via DC-3 aircraft of Trans-Texas Airways.
- The furthest airport from Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,048 miles (17,780 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- After World War II, Foster Field was deactivated and the site was returned to its private owners, the Buhler and Braman estates.
- Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) has 4 runways.
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- 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.
- 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.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
- In 2004, recommendations were made to relocate the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard and its associated HC-130, MC-130 and HH-60 aircraft from Moffett Federal Airfield to the former Castle Air Force Base, now Castle Airport.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.