Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Punta Arenas, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ), Punta Arenas, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,979 miles (or 11,232 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International 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):

• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• 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.
• 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.
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.

Facts about Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ):

• Because of Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport's relatively low elevation of 139 feet, planes can take off or land at Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International 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.
• Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) has 3 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport", another name for PUQ is "Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibáñez".
• The furthest airport from Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is Baikal International Airport (UUD), which is nearly antipodal to Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (meaning Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Baikal International Airport), and is located 12,327 miles (19,839 kilometers) away in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
• The closest airport to Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) NW of PUQ.