Nonstop flight route between Pocatello, Idaho, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH), Pocatello, Idaho, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,666 miles (or 7,509 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 Pocatello Regional 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 Pocatello Regional 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 Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH):

• Because of Pocatello Regional Airport's high elevation of 4,452 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at PIH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make PIH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 25,756 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 21,039 in 2009, and 20,825 in 2010.
• Western Air Lines served Pocatello for a number of years, but discontinued all service by 1980.
• The furthest airport from Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,820 miles (17,413 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Pocatello Regional Airport covers an area of 3,374 acres at an elevation of 4,452 feet above mean sea level.
• In addition to being known as "Pocatello Regional Airport", another name for PIH is "(formerly Pocatello Army Airfield)".
• Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) is Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) NNE of PIH.
• The airport is built on the site of the Pocatello Army Airfield, a World War II training base.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.