Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from RCA to CHU:
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- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- CHU Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about CHU
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to CHU
- List of Nearest Airports to CHU
- Map of Furthest Airports from CHU
- List of Furthest Airports from CHU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Chuathbaluk Airport (CHU), Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,529 miles (or 4,070 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 Chuathbaluk 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 Chuathbaluk Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | CHU / |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 61°34'45"N by 159°12'56"W |
Area Served: | Chuathbaluk, Alaska |
Operator/Owner: | State of Alaska DOT&PF |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 243 feet (74 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CHU |
More Information: | CHU Maps & Info |
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 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.
- On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
- When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
- 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.
- On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
- To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
- Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
- 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.
Facts about Chuathbaluk Airport (CHU):
- In addition to being known as "Chuathbaluk Airport", other names for CHU include "PACH" and "9A3".
- The closest airport to Chuathbaluk Airport (CHU) is Aniak Airport (ANI), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) W of CHU.
- Because of Chuathbaluk Airport's relatively low elevation of 243 feet, planes can take off or land at Chuathbaluk 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 Chuathbaluk Airport (CHU) is George Airport (GRJ), which is located 10,530 miles (16,947 kilometers) away in George, South Africa.
- Chuathbaluk Airport (CHU) currently has only 1 runway.