Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Natal, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT), Natal, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,431 miles (or 8,740 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 Augusto Severo 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 Augusto Severo International 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 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 airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.

Facts about Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT):

• On 31 August 2009 Infraero unveiled an ambitious BRL5.3 billion investment plan to renovate and upgrade airports of ten cities focusing on the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup which will be held in Brazil.
• The airport gained an important role during World War II as a strategic base for aircraft flying between South America and West Africa.
• Augusto Severo International Airport handled 2,408,206 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) is Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA), which is located 88 miles (142 kilometers) SSE of NAT.
• Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) has 3 runways.
• Some of its facilities are shared with the Natal Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force.
• The furthest airport from Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) is Falalop Airfield (ULI), which is located 11,994 miles (19,303 kilometers) away in Falalop Island, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.
• In 2000, the present passenger terminal was built.
• Because of Augusto Severo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 167 feet, planes can take off or land at Augusto Severo International 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.
• In addition to being known as "Augusto Severo International Airport", another name for NAT is "Aeroporto Internacional Augusto Severo".