Nonstop flight route between Yulara, Northern Territory, Australia and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ), Yulara, Northern Territory, Australia and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,166 miles (or 14,751 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 Ayers Rock Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, 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 Ayers Rock Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base. 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 Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ):

• Connellan Airport was originally started by Edward Connellan.
• Ayers Rock Airport handled 309,089 passengers last year.
• Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The runway at Ayers Rock Airport is 2,599 m × 30 m.
• Jetstar operates Airbus A320, Qantaslink operates Boeing 717-200s and Virgin Australia operates a mixture of Boeing 737-700/800s and Embraer E-190s in and out of Ayers Rock Airport.
• The main users of the airport are light aircraft – either charter, scenic flights or private owned aircraft.
• The closest airport to Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) is Alice Springs Airport (ASP), which is located 207 miles (333 kilometers) ENE of AYQ.
• The furthest airport from Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) is Barbuda Codrington Airport (BBQ), which is located 11,463 miles (18,448 kilometers) away in Codrington, Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda.
• In addition to being known as "Ayers Rock Airport", other names for AYQ include "Connellan Airport" and "Ayers Rock/Connellan Airport".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• 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.
• The base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.