Nonstop flight route between Girardot, Colombia and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santiago Vila Airport (GIR), Girardot, Colombia and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,189 miles (or 8,351 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 Santiago Vila 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 Santiago Vila 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 Santiago Vila Airport (GIR):

• Santiago Vila Airport (GIR) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Santiago Vila Airport", another name for GIR is "Aeropuerto Santiago Vila".
• The furthest airport from Santiago Vila Airport (GIR) is Gunung Batin Airport (AKQ), which is nearly antipodal to Santiago Vila Airport (meaning Santiago Vila Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Gunung Batin Airport), and is located 12,413 miles (19,977 kilometers) away in Astraksetra, Indonesia.
• Because of Santiago Vila Airport's relatively low elevation of 900 feet, planes can take off or land at Santiago Vila Airport 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 closest airport to Santiago Vila Airport (GIR) is Perales Airport (IBE), which is located 25 miles (41 kilometers) WNW of GIR.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.
• 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.
• 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.
• RAF St Athan has been used to house a number of army units throughout its life and, in 2003, the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards moved from Aldershot to St Athan - the first time they have been based in Wales since they were formed in 1915.
• MOD St Athan is a large Ministry of Defence unit near the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales.
• 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.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.