Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash" (MCX), Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,162 miles (or 9,917 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 Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash", 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 Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash". 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• 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.

Facts about Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash" (MCX):

• The furthest airport from Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash" (MCX) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,066 miles (17,808 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• Because of Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash"'s relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash" 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 Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash" (MCX) is Zaqatala International Airport (ZTU), which is located 100 miles (161 kilometers) SSW of MCX.
• In addition to being known as "Makhachkala International Airport "Uytash"", other names for MCX include "Махачкалинский международный аэропорт "Уйташ"" and "МСХ".