Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Erigavo, Somalia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Erigavo Airport (ERA), Erigavo, Somalia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,223 miles (or 13,233 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 Erigavo 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 Erigavo 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 Erigavo Airport (ERA):

• The closest airport to Erigavo Airport (ERA) is Bender Qassim International Airport (BSA), which is located 127 miles (205 kilometers) ENE of ERA.
• Because of Erigavo Airport's high elevation of 5,720 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ERA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ERA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Erigavo Airport (ERA) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,997 miles (19,308 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.