Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Mianyang, Sichuan, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (MIG), Mianyang, Sichuan, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,928 miles (or 11,150 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 Mianyang Nanjiao 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 Mianyang Nanjiao 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):

• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (MIG):

• The furthest airport from Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (MIG) is Viña del Mar Airport (KNA), which is nearly antipodal to Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (meaning Mianyang Nanjiao Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Viña del Mar Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,621 kilometers) away in Viña del Mar, Chile.
• Mianyang Nanjiao Airport has a 2,400-meter runway capable of handling major aircraft including the Boeing 737.
• Opened on 28 April 2001, Mianyang Nanjiao is the second largest airport in Sichuan after Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.
• The closest airport to Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (MIG) is Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), which is located 75 miles (121 kilometers) SW of MIG.
• Mianyang Nanjiao Airport (MIG) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Mianyang Nanjiao Airport", other names for MIG include "绵阳南郊机场" and "Miányáng Nánjiāo Jīchǎng".
• Mianyang Nanjiao Airport handled 622,816 passengers last year.