Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Laoag International Airport (LAO), Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,327 miles (or 11,791 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 Laoag International 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 Laoag International 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 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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• The 44th Missile Wing, however, had ably accomplished its deterrence mission.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Laoag International Airport (LAO):

• Laoag International Airport handled 177,339 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Laoag International Airport", another name for LAO is "Paliparang Pandaigdig ng LaoagSangalubong a Pagtayaban ti Laoag".
• The closest airport to Laoag International Airport (LAO) is Tuguegarao Airport (TUG), which is located 87 miles (140 kilometers) ESE of LAO.
• Laoag International Airport (LAO) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Laoag International Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Laoag International 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.
• The furthest airport from Laoag International Airport (LAO) is Puerto Suárez International Airport (PSZ), which is nearly antipodal to Laoag International Airport (meaning Laoag International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Puerto Suárez International Airport), and is located 12,316 miles (19,820 kilometers) away in Puerto Suárez, Bolivia.