Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Nanjing, China:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), Nanjing, China would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,565 miles (or 10,566 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 Nanjing Lukou 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 Nanjing Lukou 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 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.
• 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.
• 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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 Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG):

• Nanjing Lukou International Airport handled 15,011,792 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) is General Justo José de Urquiza Airport (PRA), which is nearly antipodal to Nanjing Lukou International Airport (meaning Nanjing Lukou International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from General Justo José de Urquiza Airport), and is located 12,398 miles (19,953 kilometers) away in Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina.
• The first phase of Ninggao Intercity Rail Line, also called Line 6 of Nanjing Metro, links the airport to Nanjing South Railway Station.
• In addition to being known as "Nanjing Lukou International Airport", other names for NKG include "南京禄口国际机场" and "Nánjīng Lùkǒu Guójì Jīchǎng".
• The airport now has one terminal, one runway, one taxiway, a cargo center, and an apron.
• Taxi is easily accessible outside the arrivals hall.
• Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) has 2 runways.
• Because of Nanjing Lukou International Airport's relatively low elevation of 49 feet, planes can take off or land at Nanjing Lukou 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.
• The closest airport to Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) is Changzhou Benniu Airport (CZX), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) ENE of NKG.