Nonstop flight route between Mount Gambier, Australia and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mount Gambier Airport (MGB), Mount Gambier, Australia and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,159 miles (or 14,740 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 Mount Gambier 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 Mount Gambier 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 Mount Gambier Airport (MGB):

• The furthest airport from Mount Gambier Airport (MGB) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is located 11,985 miles (19,288 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• The closest airport to Mount Gambier Airport (MGB) is Portland Airport (PTJ), which is located 54 miles (88 kilometers) SE of MGB.
• It is located on the Riddoch Highway in Wandilo about 5 nautical miles north of Mount Gambier.
• In 2011 it was announced that Mount Gambier Airport would be upgraded under a $3.4 million program.
• Because of Mount Gambier Airport's relatively low elevation of 212 feet, planes can take off or land at Mount Gambier 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.
• Mount Gambier Airport handled 92,261 passengers last year.
• Mount Gambier Airport (MGB) has 3 runways.
• On 29 May 1947 the airport was handed over to the Department of Civil Aviation and this saw the return of regular public transport flights to the region with Ansett Airways announcing that a daily service would operate between Mount Gambier and Melbourne.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.
• 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 mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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.