Nonstop flight route between College Park, Maryland, United States and Prestwick (near Glasgow), Scotland, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from CGS to PIK:
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- About this route
- CGS Airport Information
- PIK Airport Information
- Facts about CGS
- Facts about PIK
- Map of Nearest Airports to CGS
- List of Nearest Airports to CGS
- Map of Furthest Airports from CGS
- List of Furthest Airports from CGS
- Map of Nearest Airports to PIK
- List of Nearest Airports to PIK
- Map of Furthest Airports from PIK
- List of Furthest Airports from PIK
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between College Park Airport (CGS), College Park, Maryland, United States and Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK), Prestwick (near Glasgow), Scotland, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,406 miles (or 5,482 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 College Park Airport and Glasgow-Prestwick Airport, 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 College Park Airport and Glasgow-Prestwick Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | CGS / KCGS |
| Airport Name: | College Park Airport |
| Location: | College Park, Maryland, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 38°58'50"N by 76°55'20"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 48 feet (15 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from CGS |
| More Information: | CGS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | PIK / EGPK |
| Airport Name: | Glasgow-Prestwick Airport |
| Location: | Prestwick (near Glasgow), Scotland, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 55°30'33"N by 4°35'39"W |
| Area Served: | Glasgow, Prestwick, Strathclyde, Scotland |
| Operator/Owner: | Scottish Government |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 65 feet (20 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PIK |
| More Information: | PIK Maps & Info |
Facts about College Park Airport (CGS):
- Because of College Park Airport's relatively low elevation of 48 feet, planes can take off or land at College Park 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.
- Civilian aviation began at College Park with Rex Smith, an inventor and patent attorney, who operated the Rex Smith Aeroplane Company.
- From 1927 until 1933, the Bureau of Standards developed and tested the first radio navigational aids for use in "blind" or bad weather flying.
- College Park Airport is home to many "firsts" in aviation, and is particularly significant for the well-known aviators and aviation inventors who played a part in this field's long history.
- Since the 9/11 attacks, and owing to the airport's proximity to the national capital, the operations of the airport have been severely restricted by the Transportation Security Administration in the interest of national security, but civilian pilots are still free to use the airport after going through a one-time background check procedure.
- The furthest airport from College Park Airport (CGS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,684 miles (18,803 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- College Park Airport (CGS) currently has only 1 runway.
- In 1937, the Engineering & Research Corporation, based in nearby Riverdale, Maryland, used the airport to test fly the early model of the Ercoupe, an airplane designed to be spin-proof.
- The closest airport to College Park Airport (CGS) is Bolling Air Force Base (BOF), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) SSW of CGS.
- George Brinckerhoff took over management of the Airfield and ran it from 1927 until 1959, hosting numerous airshows and teaching hundreds of pilots to fly during his tenure.
Facts about Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK):
- 2009 saw the unit break a new record as they were tasked to 447 call outs.
- Today BAE Systems retains a small facility at Prestwick for its BAE Systems Regional Aircraft division, with the adjoining main manufacturing site, producing components for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, having been sold to Spirit AeroSystems in January 2006.
- Glasgow-Prestwick Airport handled 1,145,836 passengers last year.
- Because of Glasgow-Prestwick Airport's relatively low elevation of 65 feet, planes can take off or land at Glasgow-Prestwick 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.
- Today, part of the Prestwick site is occupied by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm with RNAS Prestwick, where a detachment of 3 Sea Kings provide a search and rescue role, covering one of the largest SAR areas of the UK including Ben Nevis, the Lakes, Northern Ireland and 200 NM past the Irish coast.
- The closest airport to Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK) is Glasgow International Airport (GLA), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) NNE of PIK.
- An Airbus A380 made an approach and go round at Prestwick Airport for the first time on 5 September 2009.
- Glasgow Prestwick Airport is considered to be the only piece of United Kingdom territory on which Elvis Presley ever set foot, when the United States Army transport plane carrying him home stopped to refuel in 1960, en route from Germany.
- The furthest airport from Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,764 miles (18,932 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
- Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK) has 2 runways.
- In 1991 the newly privatised British Airports Authority, BAA Limited, consolidated their portfolio of UK airports.
- Scottish Aviation built a factory using the original terminal building and hangars at Prestwick, which from 1974 produced such aircraft as the Prestwick Pioneers, and later the Jetstream and Bulldog.
