Nonstop flight route between Chania, Greece and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ), Chania, Greece and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,014 miles (or 9,679 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 Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" 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 Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" 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 Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ):

• The focus on civil aviation for the west of Crete has not always been on the current location.
• Because of Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis"'s relatively low elevation of 490 feet, planes can take off or land at Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" 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 Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ) is Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER), which is located 60 miles (96 kilometers) ESE of CHQ.
• Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Other than by car, the facility is linked by airport buses to the city of Chania, from where transfer to other buses is possible.
• Maleme Airport was constructed by the British Military, shortly before the Second World War.
• In addition to being known as "Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis"", other names for CHQ include "Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Χανίων, "Δασκαλογιάννης"" and "Kratikos Aerolimenas Chanion Daskalogiannis".
• The furthest airport from Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,492 miles (18,495 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• 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 host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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.
• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.