Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Kawthaung, Myanmar (Burma):

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Kawthaung Airport (KAW), Kawthaung, Myanmar (Burma) would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,455 miles (or 13,607 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 Kawthaung 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 Kawthaung 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):

• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• 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 Kawthaung Airport (KAW):

• The furthest airport from Kawthaung Airport (KAW) is Teniente FAP Jaime Montreuil Morales Airport (CHM), which is nearly antipodal to Kawthaung Airport (meaning Kawthaung Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Teniente FAP Jaime Montreuil Morales Airport), and is located 12,227 miles (19,678 kilometers) away in Chimbote, Ancash Region, Peru.
• The closest airport to Kawthaung Airport (KAW) is Ranong Airport (UNN), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) S of KAW.
• Kawthaung Airport (KAW) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Kawthaung Airport's relatively low elevation of 180 feet, planes can take off or land at Kawthaung 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 "Kawthaung Airport", another name for KAW is "ကော့သောင် လေဆိပ်".