Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Narsaq, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Narsaq Heliport (JNS), Narsaq, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,557 miles (or 4,115 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 Narsaq Heliport, 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 Narsaq Heliport. 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.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• 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.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.

Facts about Narsaq Heliport (JNS):

• The closest airport to Narsaq Heliport (JNS) is Qaqortoq Heliport (JJU), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) S of JNS.
• Air Greenland Sikorsky S-61N helicopter, incoming from Qaqortoq Heliport, bound for Narsarsuaq Airport
• The furthest airport from Narsaq Heliport (JNS) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 11,066 miles (17,810 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• Heliport from the air during Narsaq-Narsarsuaq flight in the Air Greenland Sikorsky S-61N helicopter
• Because of Narsaq Heliport's relatively low elevation of 83 feet, planes can take off or land at Narsaq Heliport 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.