Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Shangri-La, Yunnan, China:
Departure Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Arrival Airport:
(27°47'35"N by 99°40'38"E)
Distance from RCA to DIG:
7,262.20 miles (11,687.34 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- DIG Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about DIG
- 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 DIG
- List of Nearest Airports to DIG
- Map of Furthest Airports from DIG
- List of Furthest Airports from DIG
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG), Shangri-La, Yunnan, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,262 miles (or 11,687 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 Dêqên Shangri-La 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 Dêqên Shangri-La 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: |
|
| 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: | DIG / ZPDQ |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Shangri-La, Yunnan, China |
| GPS Coordinates: | 27°47'35"N by 99°40'38"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Yunnan Airport Group |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 10761 feet (3,280 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DIG |
| More Information: | DIG Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
- 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.
Facts about Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG):
- In addition to being known as "Dêqên Shangri-La Airport", other names for DIG include "迪庆香格里拉机场" and "Díqìng Xiānggélǐlā Jīchǎng".
- Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG) is La Florida Airport (LSC), which is located 11,866 miles (19,096 kilometers) away in La Serena, Chile.
- Because of Dêqên Shangri-La Airport's high elevation of 10,761 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at DIG. Combined with a high temperature, this could make DIG a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The closest airport to Dêqên Shangri-La Airport (DIG) is Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG), which is located 85 miles (136 kilometers) SSE of DIG.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) S | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |     |
| 2 | 41.93 miles (67.49 km) WNW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 82.62 miles (132.96 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 90.44 miles (145.55 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 122.78 miles (197.60 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.94 miles (223.59 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 7 | 142.03 miles (228.58 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.26 miles (233.77 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 9 | 148.71 miles (239.33 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 153.78 miles (247.49 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 154.79 miles (249.12 km) SE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 159.20 miles (256.21 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 162.60 miles (261.68 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 183.63 miles (295.52 km) N | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | |
| 15 | 188.89 miles (303.99 km) SE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,579.32 miles (17,025.72 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,460.72 miles (16,834.85 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,437.71 miles (16,797.83 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,415.77 miles (16,762.51 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,301.11 miles (16,577.99 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,292.17 miles (16,563.61 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,268.77 miles (16,525.95 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,252.53 miles (16,499.80 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,244.09 miles (16,486.22 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,200.19 miles (16,415.58 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,193.03 miles (16,404.05 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,186.88 miles (16,394.16 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,186.40 miles (16,393.38 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,176.73 miles (16,377.83 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,162.30 miles (16,354.60 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 84.53 miles (136.04 km) SSE | Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG) | Lijiang City, Yunnan, China | |
| 2 | 108.13 miles (174.02 km) NNE | Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY) | Daocheng, Sichuan, China | |
| 3 | 153.21 miles (246.56 km) SSE | Dali Airport (DLU) | Dali, Yunnan, China | |
| 4 | 153.70 miles (247.35 km) E | Xichang Qingshan Airport (XIC) | Qingshan, China | |
| 5 | 191.92 miles (308.86 km) S | Baoshan Yunduan Airport (BSD) | Baoshan, Yunnan, China | |
| 6 | 206.94 miles (333.04 km) SSW | Tengchong Tuofeng Airport (TCZ) | Tengchong, Yunnan, China | |
| 7 | 216.63 miles (348.63 km) W | Tezu Airport (TEI) | Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh, India | |
| 8 | 244.70 miles (393.81 km) SSW | Dehong Mangshi Airport (LUM) | Mang City, Yunnan, China | |
| 9 | 245.72 miles (395.45 km) NW | Qamdo Bamda Airport (BPX) | Qamdo Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China | |
| 10 | 251.92 miles (405.43 km) E | Zhaotong Airport (ZAT) | Zhaotong, Yunnan, China | |
| 11 | 262.93 miles (423.14 km) W | Pasighat Airport (IXT) | Pasighat (Passighat), India | |
| 12 | 273.92 miles (440.83 km) SE | Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) | Kunming, Yunnan, China | |
| 13 | 276.38 miles (444.78 km) WSW | Khamti Airport (KHM) | Khamti, Myanmar (Burma) | |
| 14 | 281.01 miles (452.24 km) S | Lincang Airport (LNJ) | Lincang, Yunnan, China | |
| 15 | 285.77 miles (459.91 km) W | Dibrugarh Airport (DIB) | Dibrugarh, India | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,865.74 miles (19,096.02 km) WSW | La Florida Airport (LSC) | La Serena, Chile | |
| 2 | 11,830.75 miles (19,039.69 km) W | Chañaral Airport (CNR) | Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 3 | 11,828.98 miles (19,036.85 km) W | Chamonate Airfield (CPO) | Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 4 | 11,800.91 miles (18,991.68 km) SW | Viña del Mar Airport (KNA) | Viña del Mar, Chile | |
| 5 | 11,779.36 miles (18,956.99 km) W | Ricardo García Posada Airport El Salvador Bajo Airport (ESR) | El Salvador, Chile | |
| 6 | 11,753.28 miles (18,915.03 km) SW | La Unión Airport (LUI) | La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed] | |
| 7 | 11,752.32 miles (18,913.49 km) WSW | Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (former Cerro Moreno International Airport) (ANF) | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| 8 | 11,750.72 miles (18,910.90 km) SW | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) | Santiago, Chile | |
| 9 | 11,717.86 miles (18,858.01 km) WSW | Carolina Airport (CLN) | Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 10 | 11,685.90 miles (18,806.58 km) SSW | Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP) | Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile | |
| 11 | 11,675.80 miles (18,790.33 km) WSW | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Airport (UAQ) | San Juan Province, Argentina | |
| 12 | 11,666.65 miles (18,775.61 km) WSW | Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (MDZ) | Mendoza, Mendoza Province, Argentina | |
| 13 | 11,660.46 miles (18,765.64 km) SW | General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) | Chillán, Ñuble, Chile | |
| 14 | 11,634.61 miles (18,724.05 km) WSW | El Loa Airport (CJC) | Calama, Antofagasta Region, Chile | |
| 15 | 11,624.93 miles (18,708.47 km) SW | Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ) | Iquique, Chile | |