Nonstop flight route between Popayán, Colombia and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN), Popayán, Colombia and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,303 miles (or 5,316 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 Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN):

• Because of Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 "Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport", another name for PPN is "Aeropuerto Guillermo León Valencia".
• Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Sultan Thaha Airport (DJB), which is nearly antipodal to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (meaning Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Thaha Airport), and is located 12,378 miles (19,920 kilometers) away in Jambi, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which is located 77 miles (124 kilometers) NNE of PPN.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• 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".