Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Chania, Greece:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ), Chania, Greece would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,014 miles (or 9,679 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 Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis", 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 Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis". 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.
• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• 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 airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.

Facts about Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ):

• The airport is also intensively used by the Hellenic Air Force.
• The furthest airport from Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,492 miles (18,495 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis"", other names for CHQ include "Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Χανίων, "Δασκαλογιάννης"" and "Kratikos Aerolimenas Chanion Daskalogiannis".
• Because of Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis"'s relatively low elevation of 490 feet, planes can take off or land at Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" 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.
• Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Other than by car, the facility is linked by airport buses to the city of Chania, from where transfer to other buses is possible.
• In 1959, this activity was transferred to the military airport of Souda.
• The closest airport to Chania International Airport, "Daskalogiannis" (CHQ) is Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER), which is located 60 miles (96 kilometers) ESE of CHQ.