Nonstop flight route between Columbia, South Carolina, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB), Columbia, South Carolina, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,922 miles (or 6,311 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 Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens 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 Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens 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 Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB):

• Because of Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport's relatively low elevation of 194 feet, planes can take off or land at Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens 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.
• Just prior to World War II, some Air Corps operations from the 65th Observation Group flew observation flights from the airport, until Columbia Army Air Base opened in 1941.
• Jim Hamilton – L.B.
• The closest airport to Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB) is Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) WSW of CUB.
• The airport was the main municipal airport serving Columbia, South Carolina prior to World War II.
• Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,515 miles (18,532 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• After the war, the airport was renamed Owens Field for Columbia Mayor Lawrence B.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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 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.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• RAF St Athan has been used to house a number of army units throughout its life and, in 2003, the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards moved from Aldershot to St Athan - the first time they have been based in Wales since they were formed in 1915.
• 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.
• 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.