Nonstop flight route between Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,739 miles (or 4,408 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 Eugenio María de Hostos 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 Eugenio María de Hostos 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 Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 4,636 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 4,386 enplanements in 2009, and 4,466 in 2010.
• Eugenio María de Hostos Airport covers an area of 172 acres at an elevation of 28 feet above mean sea level.
• Because of Eugenio María de Hostos Airport's relatively low elevation of 28 feet, planes can take off or land at Eugenio María de Hostos 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.
• Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Eugenio María de Hostos Airport handled 12,568 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (meaning Eugenio María de Hostos Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,620 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ) is Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) N of MAZ.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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 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".
• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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.