Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Mount Pleasant, Utah, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Mount Pleasant Airport (MSD), Mount Pleasant, Utah, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,810 miles (or 7,740 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 MoD St Athan and Mount Pleasant 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 MoD St Athan and Mount Pleasant Airport. 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 MoD St Athan (DGX):

• 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.
• After the war, airmen of the Airframe and Engine trades continued to train at St Athan, but in 1955 this training dispersed to RAF Kirkham and RAF Weeton.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• 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 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• 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.

Facts about Mount Pleasant Airport (MSD):

• The closest airport to Mount Pleasant Airport (MSD) is Salina-Gunnison Airport (SBO), which is located 39 miles (64 kilometers) SSW of MSD.
• Because of Mount Pleasant Airport's high elevation of 5,830 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MSD. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MSD a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Mount Pleasant Airport (MSD) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Mount Pleasant Airport", other names for MSD include "MSC" and "43U".
• The furthest airport from Mount Pleasant Airport (MSD) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,037 miles (17,762 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.