Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG), Ketaping, West Sumatra, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,116 miles (or 14,670 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA), 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 Minangkabau International Airport (MIA). 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):

• 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".
• 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.
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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 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.

Facts about Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG):

• The closest airport to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Rokot Airport (RKI), which is located 99 miles (159 kilometers) SSW of PDG.
• The furthest airport from Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) is Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM), which is nearly antipodal to Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (meaning Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Carlos Concha Torres International Airport), and is located 12,422 miles (19,991 kilometers) away in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
• Because of Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)'s relatively low elevation of 18 feet, planes can take off or land at Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) 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 "Minangkabau International Airport (MIA)", other names for PDG include "Bandar Udara Internasional Minangkabau (MIA)" and "بانداراينتيرنسيونالمينڠكاباو".
• Minangkabau International Airport (MIA) (PDG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Minangkabau International Airport is located 23 km from the center of the city of Padang, occupying an area of ± 427 hectares as the main gateway to West Sumatra.
• There is a plan to lengthen the runway by 250 m to be compatible with Boeing 747, Airbus A340 planes, and also to connect the airport to the city of Padang with a train service.