Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Perth Airport (PSL), Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,083 miles (or 6,571 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 Perth 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 Perth 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):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• 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 airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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.
• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.

Facts about Perth Airport (PSL):

• Perth Airport (PSL) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from Perth Airport (PSL) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,684 miles (18,804 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Perth Airport (PSL) is Dundee Airport (DND), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) E of PSL.
• AST, which is now part of Perth College, retains a presence at the airport and continues to offer aeronautical engineering courses.
• The airport opened in 1936 as Scone Aerodrome.
• Perth Airport remains Scotland's main airport for general aviation and is the base of the Scottish Aero Club which was founded in 1927.
• In addition to being known as "Perth Airport", another name for PSL is "Perth (Scone) Airport".
• Because of Perth Airport's relatively low elevation of 397 feet, planes can take off or land at Perth 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.
• By 1960 Airwork acquired Air Service Training an engineering training school, which it relocated from the south of England to the airport.