Nonstop flight route between Arauca, Colombia and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport (AUC), Arauca, Colombia and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,866 miles (or 7,831 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 Santiago Pérez Quiroz 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 Santiago Pérez Quiroz 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 Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport (AUC):

• Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport (AUC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport (AUC) is Guasdualito Airport (GDO), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) N of AUC.
• Because of Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport's relatively low elevation of 423 feet, planes can take off or land at Santiago Pérez Quiroz 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.
• In addition to being known as "Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport", other names for AUC include "Aeropuerto Santiago Pérez Quiroz" and "APO".
• The furthest airport from Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport (AUC) is Purwokerto / Wirasaba Airport (PWL), which is nearly antipodal to Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport (meaning Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Purwokerto / Wirasaba Airport), and is located 12,408 miles (19,968 kilometers) away in Wirasaba, Central Java, Indonesia.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of 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 new academy was claimed to create up to 5000 jobs at St Athan with a £14 billion investment over 25 years with an estimated £57.4 million spent into the local economy.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• Just before 1100 GMT on 11 February 2009, two Grob Tutor aircraft flying out of St Athan were involved in a mid-air collision in which two Air Training Corps cadets and their instructors, both RAF pilots, died.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
• The MOD later decided that DARA's 'Fast Jets' and 'Engines' businesses would close by April 2007, although the 'Large Aircraft' business would continue and, on 14 April 2005, the Project Red Dragon super-hangar opened and DARA moved its VC10 operations from its existing 'Twin Peaks' hangar into the new facility.
• 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.
• 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.
• St Athan also became the major RAF maintenance base for Vulcan, Victor, Buccaner, Phantom, Harrier, Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk and VC10 aircraft, originally under direct RAF control, but latterly under the auspices of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency.
• The station officially opened as RAF St Athan on 1 September 1938 and the first unit to take up residence was No 4 School of Technical Training.