Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Unalaska, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Unalaska Airport (DUT), Unalaska, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,852 miles (or 4,589 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 Unalaska 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 Unalaska 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):

• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Unalaska Airport (DUT):

• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 28,234 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 26,705 enplanements in 2009, and 26,711 in 2010.
• Unalaska Airport (DUT) currently has only 1 runway.
• Unalaska Airport has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring 4,100 by 100 feet.
• The closest airport to Unalaska Airport (DUT) is Akutan Seaplane Base (KQA), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) ENE of DUT.
• Because of Unalaska Airport's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Unalaska 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.
• In addition to being known as "Unalaska Airport", other names for DUT include "Dutch Harbor Airport" and "Tom Madsen Airport".
• The furthest airport from Unalaska Airport (DUT) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 11,037 miles (17,763 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.