Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (CCM), Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,067 miles (or 9,764 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 Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha 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 Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha 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):

• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• 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 host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (CCM):

• In addition to being known as "Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport", another name for CCM is "Aeroporto Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha".
• The furthest airport from Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (CCM) is Kikai Airport (KKX), which is nearly antipodal to Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (meaning Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kikai Airport), and is located 12,388 miles (19,937 kilometers) away in Kikaiga Shima, Kikai-Shima Island, Japan.
• Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (CCM) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport (CCM) is Antônio Correia Pinto de Macedo Airport (LAJ), which is located 84 miles (134 kilometers) NW of CCM.
• The airport is located 6 km from downtown Criciúma.
• Because of Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport's relatively low elevation of 92 feet, planes can take off or land at Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha 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.
• Diomício Freitas/Forquilhinha Airport handled 36,391 passengers last year.