Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Concord, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR), Concord, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,236 miles (or 8,427 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 MoD St Athan and Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base, 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 MoD St Athan and Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base. 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 MoD St Athan (DGX):

• On 26 August 1993 an ATC civilian instructor was seriously injured and the RAF Volunteer Reserve pilot, Group Captain Roger Sweatman, was killed when their Chipmunk trainer, on an air experience flight, crashed after encountering difficulties during a simulated emergency low-height manoeuvre on take-off.
• In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• The furthest airport from MoD St Athan (DGX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• After the war, airmen of the Airframe and Engine trades continued to train at St Athan, but in 1955 this training dispersed to RAF Kirkham and RAF Weeton.
• Because of MoD St Athan's relatively low elevation of 163 feet, planes can take off or land at MoD St Athan 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.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR):

• In 1942 Contra Costa County, California purchased land for an airport in Central County for $88,000.
• The closest airport to Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) is Napa County Airport (APC), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) NW of CCR.
• The furthest airport from Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,334 miles (18,241 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Commuter airline flights to San Francisco International Airport with small prop aircraft started in 1969, but were gone by 1980.
• Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base (CCR) has 4 runways.
• Another plane crashed on April 13, 2004, shortly after leaving Buchanan Field.
• Because of Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Buchanan FieldConcord Army Air Base 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.
• Beginning in the 1990s the Board of Supervisors updated the Buchanan Field Airport Master Plan.
• On December 21, 2006, at about 1900 Zulu, a Piper Malibu crashed while flying the LDA approach into CCR.