Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Molokai Airport (MKK), Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,446 miles (or 5,546 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 Molokai 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 Molokai 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):

• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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 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 AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.

Facts about Molokai Airport (MKK):

• Molokai Airport (MKK) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Molokai Airport (MKK) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Molokai Airport (meaning Molokai Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,348 miles (19,873 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.
• The closest airport to Molokai Airport (MKK) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) ENE of MKK.
• Molokai Airport occupies 288 acres at an elevation of 454 ft above mean sea level on the central plateau of the island of Molokai.
• Island Air ended flights between Honolulu and Molokai Airport on April 1, 2014.
• Because of Molokai Airport's relatively low elevation of 454 feet, planes can take off or land at Molokai 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 passenger terminal complex and general aviation facilities are north of the runway intersection.