Nonstop flight route between Rayong, Thailand and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP), Rayong, Thailand and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,140 miles (or 9,881 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 U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya 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 U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya 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 U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP):

• U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP) is Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM), which is nearly antipodal to U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (meaning U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Jorge Chávez International Airport), and is located 12,302 miles (19,798 kilometers) away in Callao (near Lima), Peru.
• The closest airport to U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport (UTP) is Hua Hin Airport (HHQ), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) W of UTP.
• It also serves as the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, home of the Royal Thai Navy First Air Wing.
• In addition to being known as "U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport", another name for UTP is "ท่าอากาศยานนานาชาติ อู่ตะเภา-ระยอง-พัทยา".
• Because of U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport's relatively low elevation of 42 feet, planes can take off or land at U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International 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.
• On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered.

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.
• 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 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.