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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Cape Newenham LRRS Airport (EHM), Cape Newenham, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,631 miles (or 4,234 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 Cape Newenham LRRS 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 Cape Newenham LRRS 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):

• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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 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.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.

Facts about Cape Newenham LRRS Airport (EHM):

• The airstrip was constructed in 1951 during the construction of the Cape Newenham Air Force Station.
• The furthest airport from Cape Newenham LRRS Airport (EHM) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,732 miles (17,271 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Cape Newenham LRRS Airport (EHM) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Cape Newenham LRRS Airport's relatively low elevation of 541 feet, planes can take off or land at Cape Newenham LRRS 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.
• Cape Newenham LRRS Airport has one runway designated 14/32 with a gravel surface measuring 3,950 by 150 feet.
• The closest airport to Cape Newenham LRRS Airport (EHM) is Platinum Airport (PTU), which is located 27 miles (43 kilometers) NNE of EHM.