Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Moranbah, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Moranbah Airport (MOV), Moranbah, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,184 miles (or 13,171 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 Moranbah 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 Moranbah 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 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Moranbah Airport (MOV):

• In 2010, to accommodate the growth and demand for more flights, BMA provided $47 million in funding to upgrade the runway and build a new terminal.
• Moranbah Airport (MOV) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Moranbah Airport (MOV) is Dysart Airport (DYA), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) SSE of MOV.
• The furthest airport from Moranbah Airport (MOV) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,880 miles (19,119 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• Because of Moranbah Airport's relatively low elevation of 770 feet, planes can take off or land at Moranbah 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.
• BMA Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd is a jointly-owned entitiy of BHP Billiton Limited and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd.