Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Kerch, Ukraine:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Kerch Airport (KHC), Kerch, Ukraine would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,772 miles (or 9,289 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 Kerch 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 Kerch 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 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.
• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.

Facts about Kerch Airport (KHC):

• The furthest airport from Kerch Airport (KHC) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,828 miles (17,425 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Kerch Airport (KHC) has 2 runways.
• Because of Kerch Airport's relatively low elevation of 171 feet, planes can take off or land at Kerch 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 "Kerch Airport", another name for KHC is "Аеропорт «Керч»".
• Airline flights to/from airport ceased operation approximately in 2008, there were approximately 8-10 flights a day both Domestic and International.
• Kerch Airport is an airport in Kerch, Ukraine.
• The closest airport to Kerch Airport (KHC) is Anapa Airport (AAQ), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) ESE of KHC.