Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Aomori, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Aomori Airport (AOJ), Aomori, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,364 miles (or 8,633 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 Aomori 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 Aomori 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):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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.

Facts about Aomori Airport (AOJ):

• The closest airport to Aomori Airport (AOJ) is Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō (MSJ), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) E of AOJ.
• The furthest airport from Aomori Airport (AOJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,507 miles (18,518 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• In 1995, the airport terminal building was remodeled, and certified as suitable for international operations.
• Because of Aomori Airport's relatively low elevation of 650 feet, planes can take off or land at Aomori 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 "Aomori Airport", other names for AOJ include "青森空港" and "Aomori Kūkō".
• In 1998, Air Nippon began operations to Sendai Airport.
• Aomori Airport (AOJ) currently has only 1 runway.