Nonstop flight route between Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Benedito Lacerda Airport (MEA), Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,005 miles (or 9,665 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 Benedito Lacerda 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 Benedito Lacerda 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 Benedito Lacerda Airport (MEA):

• Because of Benedito Lacerda Airport's relatively low elevation of 7 feet, planes can take off or land at Benedito Lacerda 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.
• The closest airport to Benedito Lacerda Airport (MEA) is Umberto Modiano Airport (BZC), which is located 32 miles (51 kilometers) SSW of MEA.
• Benedito Lacerda Airport handled 442,983 passengers last year.
• The airport was established in the 1960s as an airfield for general aviation and a Flying club.
• The furthest airport from Benedito Lacerda Airport (MEA) is Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2 (IWO), which is nearly antipodal to Benedito Lacerda Airport (meaning Benedito Lacerda Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2), and is located 12,179 miles (19,600 kilometers) away in Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan.
• Benedito Lacerda Airport (MEA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Benedito Lacerda Airport", another name for MEA is "Aeroporto Benedito Lacerda".

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".