Nonstop flight route between Walvis Bay, Namibia and St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Walvis Bay Airport (WVB), Walvis Bay, Namibia and MoD St Athan (DGX), St Athan, Wales, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,256 miles (or 8,458 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 Walvis Bay 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 Walvis Bay 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 Walvis Bay Airport (WVB):

• Walvis Bay Airport (WVB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Walvis Bay Airport (WVB) is Arandis Airport (ADI), which is located 42 miles (67 kilometers) NNE of WVB.
• The furthest airport from Walvis Bay Airport (WVB) is PMRF Barking Sands (BKH), which is nearly antipodal to Walvis Bay Airport (meaning Walvis Bay Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from PMRF Barking Sands), and is located 12,075 miles (19,433 kilometers) away in Kekaha, Hawaii, United States.
• Because of Walvis Bay Airport's relatively low elevation of 299 feet, planes can take off or land at Walvis Bay 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.

Facts about MoD St Athan (DGX):

• The last aircraft to be serviced at St Athan, a Vickers VC10, departed the site on 23 February 2012.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to MoD St Athan (DGX) is Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) E of DGX.
• MoD St Athan (DGX) currently has only 1 runway.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.