Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Sitia, Crete, Greece:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Sitia Airport (JSH), Sitia, Crete, Greece would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,094 miles (or 9,808 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 Sitia 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 Sitia 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):

• 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".
• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.

Facts about Sitia Airport (JSH):

• Sitia Airport (JSH) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Sitia Airport (JSH) is Kasos Island Public Airport (KSJ), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) ENE of JSH.
• Annual Passenger Throughput - 10 year history
• The airport was officially opened 2 days later, on June 9, 1984.
• The furthest airport from Sitia Airport (JSH) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,540 miles (18,572 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• Because of Sitia Airport's relatively low elevation of 376 feet, planes can take off or land at Sitia 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 "Sitia Airport", another name for JSH is "Δημοτικός Αερολιμένας Σητείας".