Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,739 miles (or 4,408 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 Eugenio María de Hostos 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 Eugenio María de Hostos 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):

• 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.
• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.

Facts about Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ):

• Eugenio María de Hostos Airport covers an area of 172 acres at an elevation of 28 feet above mean sea level.
• The furthest airport from Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (meaning Eugenio María de Hostos Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,620 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airport was served heavily by the Puerto Rican national air carrier, Prinair, during the 1970s and early 1980s.
• Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Eugenio María de Hostos Airport handled 12,568 passengers last year.
• Because of Eugenio María de Hostos Airport's relatively low elevation of 28 feet, planes can take off or land at Eugenio María de Hostos 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 closest airport to Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (MAZ) is Rafael Hernández Airport (BQN), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) N of MAZ.