Nonstop flight route between Kamuela, Hawaii, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE), Kamuela, Hawaii, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,429 miles (or 5,518 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 Waimea-Kohala 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 Waimea-Kohala 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 Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE):

• Waimea-Kohala Airport covers an area of 90 acres at an elevation of 2,671 feet above mean sea level.
• Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) is Pōhakuloa Training Area (BSF), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSW of MUE.
• The furthest airport from Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Waimea-Kohala Airport (meaning Waimea-Kohala Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,378 miles (19,921 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.
• Previously, Pacific Wings operated service to Honolulu and Kahului.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In March 1994, Ellsworth welcomed the 34th Bomb Squadron, a geographically separated unit that was awaiting airfield upgrades before it could return to its parent organization, the 366th Wing, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.