Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP), Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,861 miles (or 7,823 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 Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira 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 Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira 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):

• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP):

• At the end of World War II, the first airport with a 1,200m x 30m earth runway was operational but it was subject to flooding during the rainy season.
• Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport handled 323,940 passengers last year.
• Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) is Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR), which is nearly antipodal to Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (meaning Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Roman Tmetuchl International Airport), and is located 12,250 miles (19,714 kilometers) away in Koror, Palau.
• Because of Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport's relatively low elevation of 431 feet, planes can take off or land at Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira 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 "Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport", another name for IMP is "Aeroporto de Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira".
• The closest airport to Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) is João Correa da Rocha Airport (MAB), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) W of IMP.