Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Lockhart River Airport (IRG), Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,998 miles (or 12,871 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 Lockhart River 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 Lockhart River 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):

• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• 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 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 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.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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.

Facts about Lockhart River Airport (IRG):

• The furthest airport from Lockhart River Airport (IRG) is Cesária Évora International Airport (VXE), which is located 11,611 miles (18,686 kilometers) away in São Vicente, Cape Verde.
• On 7 May 2005 a Fairchild Metroliner aircraft crashed 6 nautical miles north-west of Lockhart River Airport, killing all 15 people on board.
• Lockhart River Airport (IRG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Lockhart River Airport's relatively low elevation of 77 feet, planes can take off or land at Lockhart River 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.
• The closest airport to Lockhart River Airport (IRG) is Coen Airport (CUQ), which is located 69 miles (110 kilometers) S of IRG.
• Lockhart River Airport is an airport in Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia, located approximately 800 km north of Cairns on the eastern coast of Cape York Peninsula.
• In addition, the 479th Service Squadron provided supplies for the B-26 and B-17s assigned to the airport, as well as operating a repair and maintenance depot for B-24 Liberator aircraft.