Nonstop flight route between Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR), Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,272 miles (or 5,266 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 Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial 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 Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial 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 Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR):

• The closest airport to Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) is Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) ENE of BDR.
• On November 2, 1992 President of the United States George H W Bush gave a speech at this airport.
• In the 1950s American Airlines stopped at Bridgeport, one Convair a day each way.
• The furthest airport from Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,765 miles (18,933 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR) has 2 runways.
• Because of Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 9 feet, planes can take off or land at Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial 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.
• At one point in the 1980s the airport had three airlines, US Airways Express, Delta Connection, and Continental Connection, but service to the airport declined in the 1990s.

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.
• During the war a dummy airfield was built using wood and cardboard a few miles west of the original airfield and successful efforts were made to hide the proper field.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• The only squadrons to operate out of St Athan on a regular basis are the University of Wales Air Squadron, flying Grob Tutors and No 634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron using Vigilant T.1s.
• The last aircraft to be serviced at St Athan, a Vickers VC10, departed the site on 23 February 2012.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.