Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Bunbury Airport (BUY), Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,244 miles (or 16,486 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 Bunbury 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 Bunbury 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 deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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 host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• 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 Bunbury Airport (BUY):

• In addition to being known as "Bunbury Airport", another name for BUY is "Bunbury City Airport".
• Because of Bunbury Airport's relatively low elevation of 53 feet, planes can take off or land at Bunbury 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.
• The furthest airport from Bunbury Airport (BUY) is L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), which is nearly antipodal to Bunbury Airport (meaning Bunbury Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from L.F. Wade International Airport), and is located 12,364 miles (19,898 kilometers) away in Ferry Reach (near Hamilton), Bermuda.
• Bunbury Airport has a single sealed runway, 07/25 which is 1,222 m × 18 m wide.
• The closest airport to Bunbury Airport (BUY) is Busselton Regional Airport (BQB), which is located 27 miles (43 kilometers) SW of BUY.
• Bunbury Airport (BUY) currently has only 1 runway.
• With increasing interest in ultra-light and general aviation, there is a potential for Bunbury Airport to become a major general aviation airport.