Nonstop flight route between Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW), Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,962 miles (or 14,423 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 Moorabbin Harry Hawker 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 Moorabbin Harry Hawker 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 Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW):

• The furthest airport from Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (meaning Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,209 miles (19,649 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Moorabbin Airport is home to the Royal Victorian Aero Club, has five intersecting runways, an air museum, helicopter terminals, a control tower and several flight training facilities.
• The nearest train station is Cheltenham, approx 3 km from the airport.
• "The Transport and Communications Minister, Mr Willis, finally ratified the push to rename the airport on Thursday, in time for Harry's birthday."
• Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport handled 9,766 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW) is Essendon Airport (MEB), which is located 20 miles (33 kilometers) NNW of MBW.
• In addition to being known as "Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport", other names for MBW include "Harry Hawker Airport" and "Melbourne/Moorabbin Airport".
• The master plan for Moorabbin Airport was approved by the Minister for Infrastructure Anthony Albanese MP, on 25 June 2010.
• Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport (MBW) has 5 runways.
• Because of Moorabbin Harry Hawker Airport's relatively low elevation of 50 feet, planes can take off or land at Moorabbin Harry Hawker 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.
• " This was after more than 25 years of lobbying"

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (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.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• 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.
• The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• 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 host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.