Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Scottsdale, Arizona, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Scottsdale Airport (SCF), Scottsdale, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,144 miles (or 8,278 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 Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale 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):

• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• The training to be carried out at St Athan was to be specialist phase 2 and phase 3 engineering courses of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.
• The new academy was claimed to create up to 5000 jobs at St Athan with a £14 billion investment over 25 years with an estimated £57.4 million spent into the local economy.
• In March 2003 it was confirmed that a new hi-tech maintenance centre would be built, creating 3,300 jobs.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Scottsdale Airport (SCF):

• While in operation, Thunderbird #2 underwent a transformation that took it from a small piece of isolated desert to a primary training school.
• The closest airport to Scottsdale Airport (SCF) is Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) WNW of SCF.
• The furthest airport from Scottsdale Airport (SCF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,436 miles (18,404 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Scottsdale Airport", other names for SCF include "Thunderbird Field #2" and "SDL".
• Scottsdale Airport (SCF) currently has only 1 runway.