Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Paro, Bhutan:
Departure Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Arrival Airport:
(27°24'32"N by 89°25'14"E)
Distance from RCA to PBH:
7,430.00 miles (11,957.40 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- PBH Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about PBH
- 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 PBH
- List of Nearest Airports to PBH
- Map of Furthest Airports from PBH
- List of Furthest Airports from PBH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Paro International Airport (PBH), Paro, Bhutan would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,430 miles (or 11,957 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 Paro 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 Paro 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: | PBH / VQPR |
| Airport Name: | Paro International Airport |
| Location: | Paro, Bhutan |
| GPS Coordinates: | 27°24'32"N by 89°25'14"E |
| Area Served: | Thimphu and Paro District |
| Operator/Owner: | Department of Civil Aviation |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 7300 feet (2,225 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from PBH |
| More Information: | PBH Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
- Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
- 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 October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
- 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.
- Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
Facts about Paro International Airport (PBH):
- Paro Airport is the only international airport of Bhutan.
- The closest airport to Paro International Airport (PBH) is Cooch Behar Airport (COH), which is located 65 miles (104 kilometers) SSE of PBH.
- Druk Air is the national flag carrier airline of Bhutan and has its base at Paro Airport.
- The furthest airport from Paro International Airport (PBH) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,281 miles (18,155 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
- Because of Paro International Airport's high elevation of 7,300 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at PBH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make PBH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Paro International Airport (PBH) currently has only 1 runway.
- The airport has a single, 6,445 feet asphalt runway.
| 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 | 64.60 miles (103.97 km) SSE | Cooch Behar Airport (COH) | Cooch Behar, India | |
| 2 | 81.96 miles (131.90 km) E | Bathpalathang Airport (BUT) | Jakar, Bumthang, Bhutan | |
| 3 | 83.93 miles (135.07 km) SW | Bagdogra AirportCivil Aerodrome Bagdogra (IXB) | Bagdogra, India | |
| 4 | 92.59 miles (149.00 km) SSE | Rupsi Airport (RUP) | Rupsi, Meghalaya, India | |
| 5 | 100.86 miles (162.32 km) SW | Bhadrapur Airport (BDP) | Bhadrapur / Chandragadhi, Nepal | |
| 6 | 105.12 miles (169.17 km) S | Lalmonirhat Airport (LLJ) | Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh | |
| 7 | 118.29 miles (190.37 km) SSW | Saidpur Airport (SPD) | Saidpur, Bangladesh | |
| 8 | 134.41 miles (216.31 km) N | Shigatse Peace Airport (RKZ) | Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China | |
| 9 | 146.64 miles (235.99 km) W | Bhojpur Airport (BHP) | Bhojpur, Nepal | |
| 10 | 147.48 miles (237.35 km) WSW | Biratnagar Airport (BIR) | Biratnagar, Nepal | |
| 11 | 158.92 miles (255.75 km) NE | Lhasa Gonggar Airport (LXA) | Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China | |
| 12 | 161.08 miles (259.23 km) ESE | Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) | Guwahati, India | |
| 13 | 165.83 miles (266.88 km) W | Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) | Lukla, Nepal | |
| 14 | 169.17 miles (272.25 km) W | Lamidanda Airport (LDN) | Lamidanda, Nepal | |
| 15 | 174.03 miles (280.08 km) W | Phaplu Airport (PPL) | Phaplu, Nepal | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,280.78 miles (18,154.61 km) E | Mataveri International Airport (IPC) | Easter Island, Chile | |
| 2 | 11,250.61 miles (18,106.06 km) WSW | La Florida Airport (LSC) | La Serena, Chile | |
| 3 | 11,235.55 miles (18,081.82 km) WSW | Viña del Mar Airport (KNA) | Viña del Mar, Chile | |
| 4 | 11,227.47 miles (18,068.82 km) SW | Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP) | Concepción, Bío Bío Region, Chile | |
| 5 | 11,219.40 miles (18,055.84 km) WSW | La Unión Airport (LUI) | La Unión, Honduras[disambiguation needed] | |
| 6 | 11,204.93 miles (18,032.53 km) W | Chañaral Airport (CNR) | Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 7 | 11,200.62 miles (18,025.60 km) W | Chamonate Airfield (CPO) | Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile | |
| 8 | 11,189.32 miles (18,007.42 km) WSW | Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) | Santiago, Chile | |
| 9 | 11,181.96 miles (17,995.58 km) SW | General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) | Chillán, Ñuble, Chile | |
| 10 | 11,153.08 miles (17,949.10 km) W | Ricardo García Posada Airport El Salvador Bajo Airport (ESR) | El Salvador, Chile | |
| 11 | 11,152.47 miles (17,948.12 km) W | Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (former Cerro Moreno International Airport) (ANF) | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| 12 | 11,144.26 miles (17,934.90 km) SW | Victoria Airport (ZIC) | Victoria, Araucanía, Chile | |
| 13 | 11,139.13 miles (17,926.64 km) SW | Maquehue Airport (ZCO) | Temuco, Araucanía, Chile | |
| 14 | 11,127.07 miles (17,907.24 km) W | Carolina Airport (CLN) | Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 15 | 11,125.66 miles (17,904.98 km) SW | Pichoy Airport (ZAL) | Valdivia, Chile | |