Nonstop flight route between Heihe, Heilongjiang, China and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:
Departure Airport:
(50°10'19"N by 127°18'30"E)
Arrival Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Distance from HEK to RCA:
5,251.45 miles (8,451.37 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- HEK Airport Information
- RCA Airport Information
- Facts about HEK
- Facts about RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to HEK
- List of Nearest Airports to HEK
- Map of Furthest Airports from HEK
- List of Furthest Airports from HEK
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Heihe Airport (HEK), Heihe, Heilongjiang, China and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,251 miles (or 8,451 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 Heihe 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 Heihe 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | HEK / ZYHE |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Heihe, Heilongjiang, China |
| GPS Coordinates: | 50°10'19"N by 127°18'30"E |
| Area Served: | Heihe, Heilongjiang, China |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1024 feet (312 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from HEK |
| More Information: | HEK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
| More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Facts about Heihe Airport (HEK):
- Heihe Airport (HEK) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Heihe Airport (HEK) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is nearly antipodal to Heihe Airport (meaning Heihe Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Port Stanley Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,621 kilometers) away in Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom.
- In addition to being known as "Heihe Airport", other names for HEK include "黑河机场" and "Hēihé Jīchǎng".
- The closest airport to Heihe Airport (HEK) is Ignatyevo Airport (BQS), which is located only 18 miles (29 kilometers) NNE of HEK.
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- 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.
- Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
- 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.
- 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.
- An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
- 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".
- 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.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 18.07 miles (29.08 km) NNE | Ignatyevo Airport (BQS) | Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia |     |
| 2 | 236.55 miles (380.69 km) NNW | Magdagachi (GDG) | Magdagachi, Russia | |
| 3 | 265.43 miles (427.17 km) SSW | Daqing Sartu Airport (DQA) | Daqing, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 4 | 271.57 miles (437.05 km) SSE | Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU) | Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 5 | 283.05 miles (455.53 km) NW | Mohe Gulian Airport (OHE) | Mohe, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 6 | 318.08 miles (511.91 km) S | Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB) | Harbin, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 7 | 340.97 miles (548.73 km) W | Hulunbuir Hailar Airport (HLD) | Hailar, Inner Mongolia, China | |
| 8 | 367.40 miles (591.27 km) SW | Ulanhot Airport (HLH) | Ulanhot, China | |
| 9 | 368.61 miles (593.22 km) NNW | Tynda Sigikta (TYD) | Tynda, Amur Oblast, Russia | |
| 10 | 372.20 miles (599.00 km) ESE | Khabarovsk Novy Airport (KHV) | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| 11 | 377.25 miles (607.13 km) SSE | Jixi Xingkaihu Airport (JXA) | Jixi, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 12 | 390.48 miles (628.41 km) WSW | Arxan Yi'ershi Airport (YIE) | Arxan, Inner Mongolia, China | |
| 13 | 404.28 miles (650.63 km) SSE | Mudanjiang Hailang Airport (MDG) | Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China | |
| 14 | 424.89 miles (683.79 km) E | Komsomolsk-na-Amur Khurba (KXK) | Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia | |
| 15 | 428.46 miles (689.53 km) S | Jilin Ertaizi Airport (JIL) | Jilin City, Jilin, China | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,191.93 miles (19,620.96 km) ESE | Port Stanley Airport (PSY) | Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom | |
| 2 | 12,161.86 miles (19,572.56 km) ESE | RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN) | Falkland Islands | |
| 3 | 11,815.07 miles (19,014.47 km) E | Puerto Deseado Airport (PUD) | Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina | |
| 4 | 11,750.60 miles (18,910.71 km) ESE | Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA) | Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina | |
| 5 | 11,707.65 miles (18,841.59 km) ESE | Ushuaia International Airport (USH) | Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina | |
| 6 | 11,707.23 miles (18,840.92 km) ESE | Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) | Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina | |
| 7 | 11,690.94 miles (18,814.69 km) ESE | General Enrique Mosconi International Airport (CRD) | Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina | |
| 8 | 11,672.01 miles (18,784.23 km) SE | Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport (REL) | Trelew, Chubut, Argentina | |
| 9 | 11,656.81 miles (18,759.78 km) SE | El Tehuelche Airport (PMY) | Puerto Madryn, Argentina | |
| 10 | 11,649.05 miles (18,747.28 km) E | Gobernador Gregores Airport (GGS) | Gobernador Gregores, Santa Cruz, Argentina | |
| 11 | 11,635.32 miles (18,725.19 km) ESE | Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) | Punta Arenas, Chile | |
| 12 | 11,624.63 miles (18,707.99 km) SE | Gobernador Edgardo Castello Airport (VDM) | Viedma, Argentina | |
| 13 | 11,583.33 miles (18,641.52 km) E | Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) | El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina | |
| 14 | 11,575.01 miles (18,628.12 km) SSE | Necochea Airport (NEC) | Necochea, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 15 | 11,572.97 miles (18,624.84 km) SSE | Miramar Airport (MJR) | Miramar, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) S | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States | |
| 2 | 41.93 miles (67.49 km) WNW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 82.62 miles (132.96 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 90.44 miles (145.55 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 122.78 miles (197.60 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.94 miles (223.59 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 7 | 142.03 miles (228.58 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.26 miles (233.77 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 9 | 148.71 miles (239.33 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 153.78 miles (247.49 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 154.79 miles (249.12 km) SE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 159.20 miles (256.21 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 162.60 miles (261.68 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 183.63 miles (295.52 km) N | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | |
| 15 | 188.89 miles (303.99 km) SE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,579.32 miles (17,025.72 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,460.72 miles (16,834.85 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,437.71 miles (16,797.83 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,415.77 miles (16,762.51 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,301.11 miles (16,577.99 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,292.17 miles (16,563.61 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,268.77 miles (16,525.95 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,252.53 miles (16,499.80 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,244.09 miles (16,486.22 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,200.19 miles (16,415.58 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,193.03 miles (16,404.05 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,186.88 miles (16,394.16 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,186.40 miles (16,393.38 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,176.73 miles (16,377.83 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,162.30 miles (16,354.60 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |