Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Gyumri, Armenia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Shirak International Airport (LWN), Gyumri, Armenia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,222 miles (or 10,013 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 Shirak 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 Shirak 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):

• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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 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 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.

Facts about Shirak International Airport (LWN):

• According to Artem Movsisian, head of the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia, Corporacion America will to turn the airport in Gyumri into a first-class airport.
• Shirak International Airport (LWN) currently has only 1 runway.
• On August 3, 2007, the government of Armenia announced that it had agreed to include the management of operations at Armenia's second largest airport in the 30-year concession agreement that it signed with Armenia International Airports CJSC in December 2001 to take over operations at Zvartnots International Airport.
• Because of Shirak International Airport's high elevation of 5,000 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at LWN. Combined with a high temperature, this could make LWN a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Shirak Airport was closed for renovations from June 20 until October 20, 2007, during which time the runway was repaved and work was done on the airport lighting and the main terminal.
• Shirak International Airport is an international airport serving Gyumri and the province of Shirak, Armenia.
• In addition to being known as "Shirak International Airport", another name for LWN is "Շիրակ Օդանավակայան".
• The closest airport to Shirak International Airport (LWN) is Kars Airport (KSY), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) WSW of LWN.
• The furthest airport from Shirak International Airport (LWN) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,214 miles (18,047 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.