Nonstop flight route between Vatry, France and Atwater, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
 
    Arrival Airport:
 
    Distance from XCR to MER:
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- About this route
- XCR Airport Information
- MER Airport Information
- Facts about XCR
- Facts about MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to XCR
- List of Nearest Airports to XCR
- Map of Furthest Airports from XCR
- List of Furthest Airports from XCR
- 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 Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR), Vatry, France and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,591 miles (or 8,997 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 Châlons Vatry Airport 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 Châlons Vatry Airport and Castle Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | XCR / LFOK | 
| Airport Name: | Châlons Vatry Airport | 
| Location: | Vatry, France | 
| GPS Coordinates: | 48°46'23"N by 4°12'21"E | 
| Area Served: | Châlons-en-Champagne | 
| Operator/Owner: | Société d'Exploitation Vatry Europort (SEVE) | 
| Airport Type: | Public | 
| Elevation: | 586 feet (179 meters) | 
| # of Runways: | 1 | 
| View all routes: | Routes from XCR | 
| More Information: | XCR 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 Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR):
- Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR) currently has only 1 runway.
- Châlons Vatry Airport's origins began in 1950 when, with the Cold War, NATO faced several problems when attempting to solve the air power survival equation.
- The closest airport to Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR) is Troyes - Barberey Airport (QYR), which is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) SSW of XCR.
- The furthest airport from Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Châlons Vatry Airport (meaning Châlons Vatry Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,092 miles (19,461 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- Because of Châlons Vatry Airport's relatively low elevation of 586 feet, planes can take off or land at Châlons Vatry 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.
Facts about Castle Airport (MER):
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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.
- Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
- The airport is located at the former Castle Air Force Base which closed in 1995.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- 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.




