Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU), Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,355 miles (or 8,618 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 Jiamusi Dongjiao 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 Jiamusi Dongjiao 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 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.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.

Facts about Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU):

• Because of Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport's relatively low elevation of 262 feet, planes can take off or land at Jiamusi Dongjiao 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 "Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport", other names for JMU include "佳木斯东郊机场" and "Jiāmùsī Dōngjiāo Jīchǎng".
• Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is located 11,937 miles (19,211 kilometers) away in Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom.
• The closest airport to Jiamusi Dongjiao Airport (JMU) is Jixi Xingkaihu Airport (JXA), which is located 109 miles (176 kilometers) SSE of JMU.