Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Ailinglaplap Atoll, Marshall Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Ailinglaplap Atoll (AIP), Ailinglaplap Atoll, Marshall Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,773 miles (or 9,290 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 Ailinglaplap Atoll, 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 Ailinglaplap Atoll. 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):

• 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.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.
• On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• 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 base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• 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.

Facts about Ailinglaplap Atoll (AIP):

• Ailinglaplap or Ailinglapalap is a coral atoll of 56 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain in the Marshall Islands.
• The furthest airport from Ailinglaplap Atoll (AIP) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is nearly antipodal to Ailinglaplap Atoll (meaning Ailinglaplap Atoll is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAF Ascension), and is located 12,218 miles (19,663 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• The current Iroijlaplap of Ailinglaplap is Anjua Loeak.
• The closest airport to Ailinglaplap Atoll (AIP) is Woja Airport (WJA), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) WNW of AIP.