Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Willemstad, Curaçao, Kingdom of the Netherlands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport (CUR), Willemstad, Curaçao, Kingdom of the Netherlands would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,992 miles (or 4,815 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 Hato International Airport Curaçao International 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 Hato International Airport Curaçao International 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):

• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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 Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport (CUR):

• Located at the west side of Hato Airport there is a small hangar for the 2 Dash-8 patrol aircraft of the Coast Guard Netherlands Antilles & Aruba.
• Because of Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Hato International Airport Curaçao International 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 closest airport to Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport (CUR) is Flamingo International Airport (BON), which is located 47 miles (75 kilometers) E of CUR.
• Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport (CUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Hato International Airport or Curaçao International Airport is the airport of Willemstad, Curaçao.
• The furthest airport from Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport (CUR) is Adisucipto International Airport (JOG), which is nearly antipodal to Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport (meaning Hato International Airport Curaçao International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Adisucipto International Airport), and is located 12,130 miles (19,521 kilometers) away in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.