Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Alor Island, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Alor Island Airport (ARD), Alor Island, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,652 miles (or 13,925 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 Alor Island 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 Alor Island 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):

• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air 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.
• 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.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.

Facts about Alor Island Airport (ARD):

• In addition to being known as "Alor Island Airport", another name for ARD is "Bandar Udara Mali".
• Alor Island Airport (ARD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Alor Island Airport (ARD) is Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL), which is located 70 miles (112 kilometers) ESE of ARD.
• The furthest airport from Alor Island Airport (ARD) is Zorg en Hoop Airport (ORG), which is nearly antipodal to Alor Island Airport (meaning Alor Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Zorg en Hoop Airport), and is located 12,276 miles (19,756 kilometers) away in Paramaribo, Suriname.
• Because of Alor Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 39 feet, planes can take off or land at Alor Island 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.