Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,039 miles (or 9,718 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 Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International 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 Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International 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):

• 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 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.
• 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 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.

Facts about Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN):

• The airport was built on the site of an old Air Naval Base, which operated until 1941, when its jurisdiction changed to the Brazilian Air Force.
• The furthest airport from Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN) is Kikai Airport (KKX), which is nearly antipodal to Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (meaning Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kikai Airport), and is located 12,334 miles (19,849 kilometers) away in Kikaiga Shima, Kikai-Shima Island, Japan.
• Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport handled 3,395,253 passengers last year.
• Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN) has 2 runways.
• The airport is located 14 km from downtown Florianópolis.
• In addition to being known as "Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport", another name for FLN is "Aeroporto Internacional de Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz".
• Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport, is the airport serving Florianópolis, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN) is Navegantes Airport (NVT), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) N of FLN.
• Because of Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International 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 the period between 1952 and 1954 the passenger terminal was rebuilt and was operational until 1976 when a brand-new terminal building and apron were opened.