Nonstop flight route between Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada and Atwater, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
(60°1'13"N by 111°57'42"W)
Arrival Airport:
(37°22'50"N by 120°34'5"W)
Distance from YSM to MER:
1,609.61 miles (2,590.41 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- YSM Airport Information
- MER Airport Information
- Facts about YSM
- Facts about MER
- Map of Nearest Airports to YSM
- List of Nearest Airports to YSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from YSM
- List of Furthest Airports from YSM
- 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 Fort Smith Airport (YSM), Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada and Castle Airport (MER), Atwater, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,610 miles (or 2,590 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 Fort Smith 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: | YSM / CYSM |
| Airport Name: | Fort Smith Airport |
| Location: | Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada |
| GPS Coordinates: | 60°1'13"N by 111°57'42"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Government of the Northwest Territories |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 673 feet (205 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from YSM |
| More Information: | YSM 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 Fort Smith Airport (YSM):
- Because of Fort Smith Airport's relatively low elevation of 673 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith Airport (YSM) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 9,839 miles (15,834 kilometers) away in Port Alfred, South Africa.
- The closest airport to Fort Smith Airport (YSM) is Fort Chipewyan Airport (YPY), which is located 92 miles (147 kilometers) SSE of YSM.
- Fort Smith Airport (YSM) has 2 runways.
Facts about Castle Airport (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.
- Castle Air Museum is 500 yards away, displaying over 50 restored World War II, Korean War, and Cold War era aircraft.
- Since the mid-1940s, aircraft maintenance, fuel management, and fire training activities on the base have generated wastes that consist primarily of waste fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.
- The furthest airport from Castle Airport (MER) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,312 miles (18,204 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Castle Airport (MER) is Merced Regional Airport (MCE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of MER.
- Castle Airport (MER) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 91.51 miles (147.27 km) SSE | Fort Chipewyan Airport (YPY) | Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, Canada |     |
| 2 | 99.31 miles (159.82 km) NW | Fort Resolution Airport (YFR) | Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| 3 | 125.07 miles (201.28 km) ESE | Uranium City Airport (YBE) | Uranium City, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| 4 | 141.93 miles (228.41 km) SE | Cluff Lake Airport (XCL) | Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| 5 | 142.02 miles (228.56 km) WNW | Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport (YHY) | Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| 6 | 173.30 miles (278.90 km) ESE | Fond-du-Lac Airport (ZFD) | Fond-du-Lac, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| 7 | 187.78 miles (302.20 km) NNW | Yellowknife Airport (YZF) | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| 8 | 206.95 miles (333.06 km) NNE | Fort Reliance Water Aerodrome (YFL) | Fort Reliance, Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| 9 | 207.24 miles (333.51 km) WSW | High Level Airport (YOJ) | High Level, Alberta, Canada | |
| 10 | 220.20 miles (354.38 km) ESE | Stony Rapids Airport (YSF) | Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| 11 | 234.17 miles (376.85 km) S | Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) | Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada | |
| 12 | 276.25 miles (444.59 km) NW | Whatì Airport (YLE) | Lac La Martre, Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| 13 | 283.22 miles (455.80 km) WSW | Rainbow Lake Airport (YOP) | Rainbow Lake, Alberta, Canada | |
| 14 | 303.83 miles (488.96 km) ESE | Points North Landing Airport (YNL) | Points North Landing, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| 15 | 303.96 miles (489.18 km) E | Obre Lake/North of Sixty Airport (YDW) | Obre Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 9,838.93 miles (15,834.19 km) ESE | Port Alfred Airport (AFD) | Port Alfred, South Africa | |
| 2 | 9,837.63 miles (15,832.09 km) ESE | East London Airport (ELS) | East London, South Africa | |
| 3 | 9,824.19 miles (15,810.46 km) ESE | Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| 4 | 9,817.79 miles (15,800.16 km) SSE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 5 | 9,783.81 miles (15,745.47 km) ESE | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 6 | 9,775.57 miles (15,732.21 km) ESE | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 7 | 9,753.15 miles (15,696.13 km) SE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 8 | 9,730.74 miles (15,660.07 km) SE | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 9 | 9,722.34 miles (15,646.54 km) ESE | George Airport (GRJ) | George, South Africa | |
| 10 | 9,712.18 miles (15,630.20 km) ESE | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 11 | 9,705.04 miles (15,618.71 km) SE | Richards Bay Airport (RCB) | Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 12 | 9,692.64 miles (15,598.75 km) SSE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 13 | 9,676.00 miles (15,571.97 km) ESE | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 14 | 9,672.35 miles (15,566.11 km) WSW | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 9,665.11 miles (15,554.44 km) SE | Hluhluwe Airport (HLW) | Hluhluwe, South Africa | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.26 miles (11.68 km) SSE | Merced Regional Airport (MCE) | Merced, California, United States | |
| 2 | 27.12 miles (43.65 km) NW | Modesto City-County Airport (MOD) | Modesto, California, United States | |
| 3 | 27.51 miles (44.27 km) SW | Los Banos Municipal Airport (LSN) | Los Banos, California, United States | |
| 4 | 29.78 miles (47.92 km) W | NASA Crows Landing Airport (NRC) | Crows Landing, California, United States | |
| 5 | 36.91 miles (59.40 km) SE | Madera Municipal Airport (MAE) | Madera, California, United States | |
| 6 | 45.69 miles (73.53 km) N | Columbia Airport (COA) | Columbia, California, United States | |
| 7 | 51.03 miles (82.13 km) NW | Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK) | Stockton, California, United States | |
| 8 | 57.32 miles (92.24 km) SW | Hollister Municipal Airport (HLI) | Hollister, California, United States | |
| 9 | 60.88 miles (97.98 km) SE | Fresno Chandler Executive AirportChandler Municipal Airport (Old) (FCH) | Fresno, California, United States | |
| 10 | 62.71 miles (100.91 km) SE | Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) | Fresno, California, United States | |
| 11 | 68.82 miles (110.76 km) W | Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) | San Jose, California, United States | |
| 12 | 71.93 miles (115.77 km) WNW | Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK) | Livermore, California, United States | |
| 13 | 73.96 miles (119.02 km) WSW | Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) | Watsonville, California, United States | |
| 14 | 74.75 miles (120.29 km) W | Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) | San Jose, California, United States | |
| 15 | 75.76 miles (121.93 km) SW | Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS) | Salinas, California, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,311.72 miles (18,204.41 km) SE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 2 | 11,301.64 miles (18,188.18 km) SSE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 3 | 11,273.49 miles (18,142.87 km) SSE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 4 | 11,260.93 miles (18,122.66 km) S | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 5 | 11,205.02 miles (18,032.69 km) SE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 11,196.39 miles (18,018.79 km) SSW | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 7 | 11,137.28 miles (17,923.67 km) SSE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| 8 | 11,111.96 miles (17,882.92 km) SE | Fianarantsoa Airport (WFI) | Fianarantsoa, Madagascar | |
| 9 | 11,011.03 miles (17,720.49 km) SE | Manja Airport (MJA) | Manja, Menabe, Madagascar | |
| 10 | 11,008.37 miles (17,716.22 km) SE | Andavadoaka Airport (DVD) | Andavadoaka, Toliara province, Atsimo-Andrefana region, Madagascar | |
| 11 | 10,993.21 miles (17,691.82 km) SE | Morombe Airport (MXM) | Morombe, Madagascar | |
| 12 | 10,972.89 miles (17,659.11 km) SSE | Toamasino Airport (TMM) | Toamasina, Madagascar | |
| 13 | 10,963.56 miles (17,644.10 km) SSE | Ivato International Airport (TNR) | Antananarivo, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,945.21 miles (17,614.56 km) SE | Miandrivazo Airport (ZVA) | Miandrivazo, Madagascar | |
| 15 | 10,920.84 miles (17,575.35 km) SE | Belo sur Tsiribihina Airport (BMD) | Belo sur Tsiribihina, Madagascar | |