Nonstop flight route between Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (RAO), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,703 miles (or 9,178 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 Dr. Leite Lopes State 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 Dr. Leite Lopes State 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 Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (RAO):

• The closest airport to Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (RAO) is Ten. Lund Presetto State Airport (FRC), which is located 46 miles (73 kilometers) NE of RAO.
• Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport handled 1,077,010 passengers last year.
• Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (RAO) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 1996 the whole airport complex received its major renovation in which the runway and adjoining taxiway were extended from 1,800m to 2,100m and a new larger apron was built.
• In 2006 the width of the runway was enlarged to 45m and finally in July 2010 the renovation and enlargement of the terminal building was completed.
• In addition to being known as "Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport", another name for RAO is "Aeroporto Estadual Dr. Leite Lopes".
• The furthest airport from Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (RAO) is Minami-Daito Airport (MMD), which is nearly antipodal to Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (meaning Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Minami-Daito Airport), and is located 12,106 miles (19,482 kilometers) away in Minami Daito, Okinawa, Japan.

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.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• 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 addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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 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.