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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between San Bernardino International Airport (SBT), San Bernardino, California, United States and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,301 miles (or 8,531 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 San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino International Airport (SBT):

• In addition to being known as "San Bernardino International Airport", another name for SBT is "SBD".
• Additionally, San Bernardino Associated Governments, the transportation-planning agency serving San Bernardino County, is developing a fixed-guideway transportation system connecting the planned multimodal terminal at Rialto Avenue and E Street with San Bernardino International Airport approximately 1.5 miles to the East.
• The furthest airport from San Bernardino International Airport (SBT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,447 miles (18,423 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The closest airport to San Bernardino International Airport (SBT) is Norton Air Force Base (SBD), which is located only 0 mile (0 kilometer) N of SBT.
• The airport is located abput two miles east of downtown San Bernardino and 14 miles northeast of downtown Riverside.
• The closure was cited as due to environmental wastes, inadequate facilities, and air traffic congestion.
• San Bernardino International Airport is capable of accommodating the largest commercial airliners in service today.
• San Bernardino International Airport (SBT) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• 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.
• The MOD continued to negotiate the project with the Metrix Consortium, but the price rose several times, reaching £14 billion in mid-2009.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• RAF St Athan was also home for the Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Training School.
• 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.
• 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.
• The closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• During the 1960s, a driving school was established.
• In 2009 building work was due to commence on a new defence training academy with its heart at St Athan.