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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE), Kamuela, Hawaii, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,429 miles (or 5,518 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 Waimea-Kohala 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 Waimea-Kohala 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 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 base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE):

• Waimea-Kohala Airport covers an area of 90 acres at an elevation of 2,671 feet above mean sea level.
• The closest airport to Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) is Pōhakuloa Training Area (BSF), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSW of MUE.
• Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) is Maun Airport (MUB), which is nearly antipodal to Waimea-Kohala Airport (meaning Waimea-Kohala Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Maun Airport), and is located 12,378 miles (19,921 kilometers) away in Maun, Botswana.