Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Puerto Natales, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), Puerto Natales, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,867 miles (or 11,051 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 Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield, 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 Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield. 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 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT):

• Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT) is Baikal International Airport (UUD), which is nearly antipodal to Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (meaning Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Baikal International Airport), and is located 12,427 miles (20,000 kilometers) away in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
• In addition to being known as "Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield", other names for PNT include "Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (Puerto Natales)" and "Aeródromo Teniente Julio Gallardo".
• Because of Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield's relatively low elevation of 217 feet, planes can take off or land at Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield 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 Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT) is Lago Argentino Airport (ING), which is located 93 miles (150 kilometers) N of PNT.