Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Benguela, Angola:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Benguela Airport (BUG), Benguela, Angola would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,130 miles (or 13,083 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 Benguela 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 Benguela 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".
• 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 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• 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 Benguela Airport (BUG):

• The closest airport to Benguela Airport (BUG) is Waku Kungo Airport/Cela (CEO), which is located 141 miles (227 kilometers) NE of BUG.
• Benguela Airport (BUG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Benguela Airport (BUG) is Johnston Atoll Airport (JON), which is nearly antipodal to Benguela Airport (meaning Benguela Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Johnston Atoll Airport), and is located 12,091 miles (19,459 kilometers) away in Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
• Because of Benguela Airport's relatively low elevation of 118 feet, planes can take off or land at Benguela 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 "Benguela Airport", other names for BUG include "Benguela/Monbaca Airport (Benguela)", "Aeroporto de Benguela" and "Benguela Airport".