Nonstop flight route between Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Altoona–Blair County Airport (AOO), Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,523 miles (or 5,669 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 Altoona–Blair County Airport and MoD St Athan, 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 Altoona–Blair County Airport and MoD St Athan. 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 Altoona–Blair County Airport (AOO):

• The furthest airport from Altoona–Blair County Airport (AOO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,578 miles (18,633 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 11,051 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 6,439 in 2009 and 4,378 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Altoona–Blair County Airport (AOO) is John Murtha Johnstown–Cambria County Airport (JST), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) W of AOO.
• The airport covers 320 acres at an elevation of 1,503 feet above sea level.
• Altoona–Blair County Airport (AOO) has 2 runways.
• Altoona–Blair County Airport has 46 small aircraft T-hangars that it rents to aircraft owners, while construction of more is under way.
• US Airways ended flights to Pittsburgh on July 7, 2007.
• Altoona–Blair County Airport houses the Kitty Hawk Restaurant, which is accessible either from the flight line or from the terminal building.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• 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 two cadet passengers were cousins and were named as Katie Jo Davies, 15, and Nikitta Walters, 14.
• In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In March 2004, however, DARA announced the loss of 550 jobs at St Athan as part of streamlining to make DARA more efficient and better able to compete with the private sector for lucrative aircraft repair contracts, but also because they lost out to a direct RAF bid for a contract to upgrade the air force's fleet of ageing Harrier jump jet aircraft.