Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Taipa, Macau:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Macau International Airport (MFM), Taipa, Macau would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,303 miles (or 11,753 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 Macau 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 Macau 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):

• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.

Facts about Macau International Airport (MFM):

• Because of Macau International Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Macau 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 Macau International Airport (MFM) is Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza International Airport (TJA), which is nearly antipodal to Macau International Airport (meaning Macau International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza International Airport), and is located 12,320 miles (19,827 kilometers) away in Tarija, Bolivia.
• The airport's runway was built on a strip of reclaimed land in the sea, adjacent to Taipa Island, where the main terminal and air traffic control facilities are located.
• The airport was opened in November 1995, during Portuguese rule.
• Macau International Airport (MFM) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Macau International Airport", other names for MFM include "Aeroporto Internacional de Macau", "澳門國際機場" and "Oumùhn Gwokjai Gēichèuhng".
• The closest airport to Macau International Airport (MFM) is Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) SW of MFM.
• Directly opposite the airport departure lounge is the Golden Crown Airport Hotel.