Nonstop flight route between Nanjing, China and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), Nanjing, China and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,565 miles (or 10,566 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 Nanjing Lukou International 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 Nanjing Lukou International 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 Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG):

• Nanjing Lukou International Airport is the main airport serving Nanjing, and a major airport serving the Yangtze River Delta area.
• Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) is Changzhou Benniu Airport (CZX), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) ENE of NKG.
• Because of Nanjing Lukou International Airport's relatively low elevation of 49 feet, planes can take off or land at Nanjing Lukou International 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.
• In addition to being known as "Nanjing Lukou International Airport", other names for NKG include "南京禄口国际机场" and "Nánjīng Lùkǒu Guójì Jīchǎng".
• Nanjing Lukou International Airport handled 15,011,792 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) is General Justo José de Urquiza Airport (PRA), which is nearly antipodal to Nanjing Lukou International Airport (meaning Nanjing Lukou International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from General Justo José de Urquiza Airport), and is located 12,398 miles (19,953 kilometers) away in Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• 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.