Nonstop flight route between Hachijojima (Hachijo Jima), Tokyo, Japan and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hachijojima Airport (HAC), Hachijojima (Hachijo Jima), Tokyo, Japan and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,797 miles (or 9,329 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 Hachijojima 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 Hachijojima 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 Hachijojima Airport (HAC):

• The closest airport to Hachijojima Airport (HAC) is Miyakejima Airport (MYE), which is located 67 miles (109 kilometers) N of HAC.
• The furthest airport from Hachijojima Airport (HAC) is Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN), which is located 11,814 miles (19,013 kilometers) away in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
• An air field was established on the island of Hachijōjima in 1926 by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
• Hachijojima Airport (HAC) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Hachijojima Airport's relatively low elevation of 301 feet, planes can take off or land at Hachijojima 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.
• From the year 2000, ANA subsidiary Air Nippon operated flights to Hachijōjima using a Boeing 737-400 colorfully painted with a dolphin design to promote tourism.
• In addition to being known as "Hachijojima Airport", other names for HAC include "八丈島空港" and "Hachijōjima Kūkō".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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".
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.