Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Popayán, Colombia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN), Popayán, Colombia would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,303 miles (or 5,316 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 Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.

Facts about Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN):

• Because of Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at Guillermo Leónel Valencia 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 furthest airport from Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Sultan Thaha Airport (DJB), which is nearly antipodal to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (meaning Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Sultan Thaha Airport), and is located 12,378 miles (19,920 kilometers) away in Jambi, Indonesia.
• Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport", another name for PPN is "Aeropuerto Guillermo León Valencia".
• The closest airport to Guillermo Leónel Valencia Airport (PPN) is Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), which is located 77 miles (124 kilometers) NNE of PPN.