Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,285 miles (or 11,725 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 King Abdulaziz Air Base, 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 King Abdulaziz Air Base. 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 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.
• 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.
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• 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 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.
• 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".
• 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.

Facts about King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA):

• The airport terminal building is one of the architectural works of Minoru Yamasaki, and was completed in 1961.
• The closest airport to King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) is King Fahd International Airport (DMM), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) WNW of DHA.
• Because of King Abdulaziz Air Base's relatively low elevation of 84 feet, planes can take off or land at King Abdulaziz Air Base 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.
• In addition to being known as "King Abdulaziz Air Base", other names for DHA include "قاعدة الملك عبد العزيز الجوية", "Dhahran International Airport" and "مطار الظهران الدولي".
• King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to King Abdulaziz Air Base (meaning King Abdulaziz Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,052 miles (19,395 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• http://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/HistoricalVignettes/HolidaysObservances/083SaudiGovernment.aspx