Nonstop flight route between Beihai, Guangxi, China and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY), Beihai, Guangxi, China and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,970 miles (or 9,607 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 Beihai Fucheng 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 Beihai Fucheng 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 Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY):

• Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Beihai Fucheng Airport", other names for BHY include "北海福成机场", "Běihǎi Fúchéng Jīchǎng" and "ZSBH".
• The furthest airport from Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) is Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ), which is nearly antipodal to Beihai Fucheng Airport (meaning Beihai Fucheng Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Diego Aracena International Airport), and is located 12,360 miles (19,891 kilometers) away in Iquique, Chile.
• The closest airport to Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) is Zhanjiang Airport (ZHA), which is located 72 miles (116 kilometers) ESE of BHY.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The two cadet passengers were cousins and were named as Katie Jo Davies, 15, and Nikitta Walters, 14.
• 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.
• 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 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• 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.
• In March 2003 it was confirmed that a new hi-tech maintenance centre would be built, creating 3,300 jobs.
• 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.
• 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.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• During the 1960s, a driving school was established.