Nonstop flight route between Del Rio, Texas, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Del Rio International Airport (DRT), Del Rio, Texas, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,960 miles (or 7,983 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 Del Rio International 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 Del Rio International 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 Del Rio International Airport (DRT):

• Del Rio was also served during the late 1940s and early 1950s by Trans-Texas Airways Douglas DC-3s to El Paso, Houston, San Antonio and other Texas cities.
• The closest airport to Del Rio International Airport (DRT) is Laughlin Air Force Base (DLF), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) E of DRT.
• Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 16,028 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 13,436 in 2009 and 13,180 in 2010.
• ExpressJet operating as United Express served the airport for United Airlines with Embraer ERJ-145s nonstop to Houston Intercontinental Airport before discontinuing it in April 2013.
• Del Rio International Airport (DRT) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Del Rio International Airport (DRT) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,249 miles (18,103 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The only squadrons to operate out of St Athan on a regular basis are the University of Wales Air Squadron, flying Grob Tutors and No 634 Volunteer Gliding Squadron using Vigilant T.1s.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.