Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Ipiales, Colombia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and San Luis Airport (IPI), Ipiales, Colombia would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,372 miles (or 5,427 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 San Luis 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 San Luis 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 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.
• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.

Facts about San Luis Airport (IPI):

• The closest airport to San Luis Airport (IPI) is Teniente Coronel Luis A Mantilla International Airport (TUA), which is located only 4 miles (7 kilometers) SW of IPI.
• The furthest airport from San Luis Airport (IPI) is Depati Parbo Airport (KRC), which is nearly antipodal to San Luis Airport (meaning San Luis Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Depati Parbo Airport), and is located 12,333 miles (19,848 kilometers) away in Kerinci, Indonesia.
• San Luis Airport (IPI) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "San Luis Airport", another name for IPI is "Aeropuerto San Luis".
• Because of San Luis Airport's high elevation of 9,765 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at IPI. Combined with a high temperature, this could make IPI a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.