Nonstop flight route between Labuan Bajo, Flores Island, Indonesia and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Komodo Airport (LBJ), Labuan Bajo, Flores Island, Indonesia and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,877 miles (or 14,285 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 Komodo 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 Komodo 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 Komodo Airport (LBJ):

• Komodo Airport (LBJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Runway being extended to 2150 meters by Sep 2013 to accommodate 737's.
• The closest airport to Komodo Airport (LBJ) is Bajawa Soa Airport (BJW), which is located 82 miles (131 kilometers) E of LBJ.
• The furthest airport from Komodo Airport (LBJ) is El Dorado Airport (EOR), which is nearly antipodal to Komodo Airport (meaning Komodo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from El Dorado Airport), and is located 12,277 miles (19,758 kilometers) away in El Dorado, Venezuela.
• Because of Komodo Airport's relatively low elevation of 67 feet, planes can take off or land at Komodo 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.
• In addition to being known as "Komodo Airport", other names for LBJ include "Bandar Udara Komodo" and "Mutiara II Airport".

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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.