Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Ambler, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Ambler Airport (ABL), Ambler, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,530 miles (or 4,072 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base and Ambler Airport, 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base and Ambler Airport. 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• 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".
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.

Facts about Ambler Airport (ABL):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 2,357 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, an increase of 0.13% from the 2,354 enplanements in 2007.
• The closest airport to Ambler Airport (ABL) is Shungnak Airport (SHG), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) SE of ABL.
• In addition to being known as "Ambler Airport", another name for ABL is "AFM".
• Because of Ambler Airport's relatively low elevation of 334 feet, planes can take off or land at Ambler 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.
• Ambler Airport (ABL) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Ambler Airport (ABL) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,187 miles (16,394 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.