Nonstop flight route between Macas, Ecuador and Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS), Macas, Ecuador and NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), Geilenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,088 miles (or 9,798 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal 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 Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS):

• The closest airport to Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) is Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) N of XMS.
• The furthest airport from Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) is Melaka International Airport (MKZ), which is nearly antipodal to Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (meaning Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Melaka International Airport), and is located 12,411 miles (19,973 kilometers) away in Batu Berendam, Malaysia.
• Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport (XMS) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Col. Edmundo Carvajal Airport", another name for XMS is "Aeropuerto "Coronel Edmundo Carvajal"".

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

• The Component operates seventeen Boeing E-3A AWACS aircraft all of which are based on the Boeing 707 airframe Trainer Cargo Aircraft but which have since been retired).
• An Economic Impact Study compiled by the NATO E-3A Component shows a 2008 economic impact of 275.8 million euro within a 200-kilometer radius of the base.
• 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.
• 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 E-3A Component is NATO's first­ operational flying unit with multinational manning.
• 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.
• Since that time, most of the buildings on base have been renovated to present day standards and several new buildings have been erected.
• Surrounded by farmland and a natural woodland reserve, the base was originally built by the Royal Air Force after World War II and operated as RAF Geilenkirchen from 1953 onwards.