Nonstop flight route between St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom and Xilinhot Airport (XIL), Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,923 miles (or 7,922 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 Xilinhot 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 Xilinhot 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 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 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The MOD later decided that DARA's 'Fast Jets' and 'Engines' businesses would close by April 2007, although the 'Large Aircraft' business would continue and, on 14 April 2005, the Project Red Dragon super-hangar opened and DARA moved its VC10 operations from its existing 'Twin Peaks' hangar into the new facility.
• 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.
• 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 Xilinhot Airport (XIL):

• In addition to being known as "Xilinhot Airport", other names for XIL include "锡林浩特机场" and "Xīlínhàotè Jīchǎng".
• The furthest airport from Xilinhot Airport (XIL) is Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport (REL), which is nearly antipodal to Xilinhot Airport (meaning Xilinhot Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport), and is located 12,358 miles (19,887 kilometers) away in Trelew, Chubut, Argentina.
• Xilinhot Airport (XIL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Xilinhot Airport (XIL) is Chifeng Airport (CIF), which is located 189 miles (304 kilometers) SE of XIL.