Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS), Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,289 miles (or 13,339 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 Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour 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 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.
• The base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• 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.
• 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".
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.

Facts about Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS):

• The furthest airport from Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS) is Santa Maria Airport (SMA), which is located 11,967 miles (19,258 kilometers) away in Santa Maria, Portugal.
• In 2011 the airport handled over 27,000 aircraft movements.
• The closest airport to Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS) is Clarence Valley Regional Airport (GFN), which is located 39 miles (63 kilometers) N of CFS.
• Coffs Harbour Airport (CFS) has 2 runways.
• On 15 May 2003, an Ambulance Service of New South Wales Beechcraft B200C King Air aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Coffs Harbour Airport after it hit the sea or a reef near the Coffs Harbour boat harbour during an instrument approach in heavy rain and poor visibility.
• Because of Coffs Harbour Airport's relatively low elevation of 18 feet, planes can take off or land at Coffs Harbour 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.