Nonstop flight route between Güttin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield (GTI), Güttin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,674 miles (or 7,522 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 Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield 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 Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield 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 Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield (GTI):

• Because of Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield's relatively low elevation of 69 feet, planes can take off or land at Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield 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 airfield lies only a few hundred metres from the B 96 federal road.
• The furthest airport from Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield (GTI) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,584 miles (18,643 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield (GTI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield (GTI) is Stralsund Barth Airport (BBH), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) W of GTI.
• In addition to being known as "Rügen Airport/ Güttin Airfield", another name for GTI is "Flugplatz Rügen/ Regionalflugplatz Güttin".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.