Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Lauro Kurtz Airport (PFB), Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,940 miles (or 9,559 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 Lauro Kurtz 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 Lauro Kurtz 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):

• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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.
• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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.
• 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.

Facts about Lauro Kurtz Airport (PFB):

• The furthest airport from Lauro Kurtz Airport (PFB) is Iejima Airport (IEJ), which is nearly antipodal to Lauro Kurtz Airport (meaning Lauro Kurtz Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Iejima Airport), and is located 12,331 miles (19,845 kilometers) away in Iejima, Japan.
• The airport was renovated in 2007.
• Lauro Kurtz Airport (PFB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Lauro Kurtz Airport (PFB) is Erechim Airport (ERM), which is located 41 miles (65 kilometers) N of PFB.
• In addition to being known as "Lauro Kurtz Airport", another name for PFB is "Aeroporto Lauro Kurtz".