Nonstop flight route between Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Lahad Datu Airport (LDU), Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,178 miles (or 13,162 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 Lahad Datu 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 Lahad Datu 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 Lahad Datu Airport (LDU):

• Because of Lahad Datu Airport's relatively low elevation of 45 feet, planes can take off or land at Lahad Datu 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.
• Lahad Datu Airport handled 99,983 passengers last year.
• Lahad Datu Airport (LDU) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lahad Datu Airport (LDU) is Semporna Airport (SMM), which is located 45 miles (72 kilometers) SSE of LDU.
• In addition to being known as "Lahad Datu Airport", another name for LDU is "Lapangan Terbang Lahad Datu 拿笃机场".
• The furthest airport from Lahad Datu Airport (LDU) is Coari Airport (CIZ), which is nearly antipodal to Lahad Datu Airport (meaning Lahad Datu Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Coari Airport), and is located 12,319 miles (19,826 kilometers) away in Coari, Amazonas, Brazil.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.