Nonstop flight route between Alpena, Michigan, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alpena County Regional Airport (APN), Alpena, Michigan, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 960 miles (or 1,544 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 relatively short distance between Alpena County Regional Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Alpena County Regional Airport (APN):

• Several scenes of the film Die Hard 2 were shot there.
• It is said to be the "Proud home of Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center," the host unit of the Michigan Air National Guard's Alpena Air National Guard Base.
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 7,519 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 7,638 enplanements in 2009, and 8,737 in 2010.
• Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) is Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (OSC), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) S of APN.
• The furthest airport from Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,184 miles (17,999 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Alpena County Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 690 feet, planes can take off or land at Alpena County Regional 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The closest airport to Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) S of RCA.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• The furthest airport from Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,579 miles (17,026 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.