Nonstop flight route between Oceanside, California, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport) (OCN), Oceanside, California, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,354 miles (or 8,617 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 Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal 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 Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal 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 Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport) (OCN):

• In addition to being known as "Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport)", another name for OCN is "OKB".
• The closest airport to Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport) (OCN) is McClellan–Palomar Airport (CLD), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSE of OCN.
• The furthest airport from Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport) (OCN) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,506 miles (18,517 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Because of Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport)'s relatively low elevation of 28 feet, planes can take off or land at Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal 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.
• Bob Maxwell Field (Oceanside Municipal Airport) (OCN) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about MoD St Athan (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.
• In March 2004, however, DARA announced the loss of 550 jobs at St Athan as part of streamlining to make DARA more efficient and better able to compete with the private sector for lucrative aircraft repair contracts, but also because they lost out to a direct RAF bid for a contract to upgrade the air force's fleet of ageing Harrier jump jet aircraft.
• 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.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.