Nonstop flight route between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,396 miles (or 5,465 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 Northeast Philadelphia 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 Northeast Philadelphia 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 Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE):

• The closest airport to Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) is NAS JRB Willow Grove (NXX), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) NW of PNE.
• Because of Northeast Philadelphia Airport's relatively low elevation of 121 feet, planes can take off or land at Northeast Philadelphia 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 furthest airport from Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,736 miles (18,888 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) has 2 runways.
• The United States Army Air Corps began construction of a 545 acres airbase in Northeast Philadelphia during World War II, but the project was never completed and the property was turned over to the city in 1944.
• Northeast Philadelphia Airport covers 1,150 acres at an elevation of 121 feet above mean sea level.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The two cadet passengers were cousins and were named as Katie Jo Davies, 15, and Nikitta Walters, 14.
• In 2006, the Special Forces Support Group was raised at St Athan and the Welsh Guards returned to London.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• The station officially opened as RAF St Athan on 1 September 1938 and the first unit to take up residence was No 4 School of Technical Training.
• 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.