Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Apucarana, Paraná, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Capitão João Busse Airport (APU), Apucarana, Paraná, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,708 miles (or 9,186 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 Capitão João Busse 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 Capitão João Busse 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):

• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• 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.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.

Facts about Capitão João Busse Airport (APU):

• In addition to being known as "Capitão João Busse Airport", another name for APU is "Aeroporto Capitão João Busse".
• Capitão João Busse Airport (APU) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport is located 9 km southeast from downtown Apucarana.
• It is operated by the Municipality of Apucarana under the supervision of Aeroportos do Paraná.
• The closest airport to Capitão João Busse Airport (APU) is Alberto Bertelli Airport (APX), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NNW of APU.
• Capitão João Busse Airport handled 701 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Capitão João Busse Airport (APU) is Naha Airport (OKA), which is nearly antipodal to Capitão João Busse Airport (meaning Capitão João Busse Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Naha Airport), and is located 12,248 miles (19,712 kilometers) away in Okinawa, Japan.
• Currently no scheduled flights operate at this airport.