Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from DGX to SNZ:
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- About this route
- DGX Airport Information
- SNZ Airport Information
- Facts about DGX
- Facts about SNZ
- Map of Nearest Airports to DGX
- List of Nearest Airports to DGX
- Map of Furthest Airports from DGX
- List of Furthest Airports from DGX
- Map of Nearest Airports to SNZ
- List of Nearest Airports to SNZ
- Map of Furthest Airports from SNZ
- List of Furthest Airports from SNZ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ), Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,687 miles (or 9,153 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 Santa Cruz Air Force Base, 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 Santa Cruz Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | DGX / EGDX |
| Airport Name: | MoD St Athan |
| Location: | St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°24'16"N by 3°26'8"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 163 feet (50 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DGX |
| More Information: | DGX Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SNZ / SBSC |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| GPS Coordinates: | 22°55'55"S by 43°43'9"W |
| Area Served: | Rio de Janeiro |
| Operator/Owner: | Brazilian Air Force |
| Airport Type: | Military: Air Force Base |
| Elevation: | 10 feet (3 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SNZ |
| More Information: | SNZ Maps & Info |
Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):
- MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
- In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
- RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
- 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 March 2003 it was confirmed that a new hi-tech maintenance centre would be built, creating 3,300 jobs.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ):
- The furthest airport from Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) is Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2 (IWO), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Cruz Air Force Base (meaning Santa Cruz Air Force Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2), and is located 12,093 miles (19,462 kilometers) away in Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan.
- The closest airport to Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) is Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) ENE of SNZ.
- The base is located 54 km from Rio de Janeiro downtown in the district of Santa Cruz.
- Because of Santa Cruz Air Force Base's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Cruz Air Force Base 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.
- As a consequence to the Hindenburg disaster on 6 May 1937 at Lakehurst Air Naval Station in New Jersey, USA, the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin requested to the Brazilian Government on 17 June 1937 the suspension of services.
- On 12 February 1942, six months before Brazil declaring war against the Axis, the airport became a base of the Brazilian Air Force.
- In addition to being known as "Santa Cruz Air Force Base", another name for SNZ is "Base Aérea de Santa Cruz".
- Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) currently has only 1 runway.
