Nonstop flight route between Hydaburg, Alaska, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hydaburg Seaplane Base (HYG), Hydaburg, Alaska, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,517 miles (or 2,442 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 relatively short distance between Hydaburg Seaplane Base and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Hydaburg Seaplane Base (HYG):

• Because of Hydaburg Seaplane Base's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Hydaburg Seaplane Base 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.
• Hydaburg Seaplane Base (HYG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Hydaburg Seaplane Base (HYG) is Waterfall Seaplane Base (KWF), which is located only 17 miles (28 kilometers) WNW of HYG.
• The furthest airport from Hydaburg Seaplane Base (HYG) is Port Alfred Airport (AFD), which is located 10,651 miles (17,140 kilometers) away in Port Alfred, South Africa.
• Scheduled airline passenger service is subsidized by the United States Department of Transportation via the Essential Air Service program.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (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.
• The 44th Missile Wing, however, had ably accomplished its deterrence mission.
• 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.
• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.