Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Maseru, Lesotho:
Departure Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Arrival Airport:
(29°27'43"S by 27°33'8"E)
Distance from RCA to MSU:
9,571.95 miles (15,404.52 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- MSU Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about MSU
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to MSU
- List of Nearest Airports to MSU
- Map of Furthest Airports from MSU
- List of Furthest Airports from MSU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU), Maseru, Lesotho would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,572 miles (or 15,405 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 Moshoeshoe I 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 Moshoeshoe I International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
| More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MSU / FXMM |
| Airport Name: | Moshoeshoe I International Airport |
| Location: | Maseru, Lesotho |
| GPS Coordinates: | 29°27'43"S by 27°33'8"E |
| Area Served: | Maseru, Lesotho |
| Operator/Owner: | Department of Civil Aviation |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 5348 feet (1,630 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MSU |
| More Information: | MSU Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- 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.
- 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.
- On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
- The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
- Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
- Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
Facts about Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU):
- The closest airport to Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) is Mafeteng Airport (MFC), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) SW of MSU.
- Because of Moshoeshoe I International Airport's high elevation of 5,348 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at MSU. Combined with a high temperature, this could make MSU a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The furthest airport from Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located 11,801 miles (18,991 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.
- Moshoeshoe I International Airport (MSU) has 2 runways.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) S | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |     |
| 2 | 41.93 miles (67.49 km) WNW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 82.62 miles (132.96 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 90.44 miles (145.55 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 122.78 miles (197.60 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.94 miles (223.59 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 7 | 142.03 miles (228.58 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.26 miles (233.77 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 9 | 148.71 miles (239.33 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 153.78 miles (247.49 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 154.79 miles (249.12 km) SE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 159.20 miles (256.21 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 162.60 miles (261.68 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 183.63 miles (295.52 km) N | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | |
| 15 | 188.89 miles (303.99 km) SE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,579.32 miles (17,025.72 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,460.72 miles (16,834.85 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,437.71 miles (16,797.83 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,415.77 miles (16,762.51 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,301.11 miles (16,577.99 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,292.17 miles (16,563.61 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,268.77 miles (16,525.95 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,252.53 miles (16,499.80 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,244.09 miles (16,486.22 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,200.19 miles (16,415.58 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,193.03 miles (16,404.05 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,186.88 miles (16,394.16 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,186.40 miles (16,393.38 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,176.73 miles (16,377.83 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,162.30 miles (16,354.60 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 29.87 miles (48.07 km) SW | Mafeteng Airport (MFC) | Mafeteng, Lesotho | |
| 2 | 40.05 miles (64.45 km) SE | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 3 | 51.65 miles (83.13 km) NE | Leribe Airport (LRB) | Leribe, Lesotho | |
| 4 | 52.40 miles (84.33 km) ESE | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |
| 5 | 72.54 miles (116.74 km) ESE | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 6 | 79.44 miles (127.84 km) WNW | Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN) | Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa | |
| 7 | 92.38 miles (148.68 km) E | Mokhotlong Airport (MKH) | Mokhotlong, Lesotho | |
| 8 | 146.27 miles (235.40 km) ENE | Ladysmith Airport (LAY) | Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 9 | 158.75 miles (255.49 km) SSE | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 10 | 171.51 miles (276.02 km) E | Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB) | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | |
| 11 | 174.39 miles (280.65 km) WNW | Kimberley Airport (KIM) | Kimberley, South Africa | |
| 12 | 192.63 miles (310.01 km) ESE | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 13 | 210.42 miles (338.63 km) NNE | Heidelberg Airport (HDB) | Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | |
| 14 | 214.01 miles (344.41 km) E | King Shaka International (DUR) | Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 15 | 225.45 miles (362.82 km) N | Rand Airport (QRA) | Johannesburg, South Africa | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,800.67 miles (18,991.29 km) NNE | Kalaupapa Airport (LUP) | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 2 | 11,797.90 miles (18,986.83 km) NNE | Hana Airport (HNM) | Hana, Hawaii, United States | |
| 3 | 11,794.98 miles (18,982.14 km) NNE | Kahului Airport (OGG) | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | |
| 4 | 11,793.61 miles (18,979.93 km) NNE | Molokai Airport (MKK) | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | |
| 5 | 11,793.06 miles (18,979.04 km) NNE | Kapalua Airport (JHM) | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | |
| 6 | 11,785.03 miles (18,966.12 km) NE | Dillingham Airfield (HDH) | Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States | |
| 7 | 11,784.77 miles (18,965.70 km) NNE | Wheeler AAF (HHI) | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | |
| 8 | 11,778.74 miles (18,956.00 km) NNE | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 9 | 11,778.74 miles (18,956.00 km) NNE | Hickam Field (HIK) | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| 10 | 11,774.59 miles (18,949.32 km) NNE | Lanai Airport (LNY) | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | |
| 11 | 11,773.43 miles (18,947.46 km) NE | Princeville Airport (HPV) | Hanalei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 12 | 11,773.24 miles (18,947.15 km) NNE | Kalaeloa Airport (NAX) | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | |
| 13 | 11,766.43 miles (18,936.19 km) NNE | Upolu Airport (UPP) | Hawi, Hawaii, United States | |
| 14 | 11,765.18 miles (18,934.17 km) NE | Lihue Airport (LIH) | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | |
| 15 | 11,752.70 miles (18,914.09 km) NNE | Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) | Kamuela, Hawaii, United States | |