Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA), Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,080 miles (or 11,394 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 Hermes Quijada 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 Hermes Quijada 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):

• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 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.

Facts about Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA):

• The closest airport to Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA) is Ushuaia International Airport (USH), which is located 77 miles (123 kilometers) SSW of RGA.
• The furthest airport from Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA) is Chita Kadala (HTA), which is nearly antipodal to Hermes Quijada International Airport (meaning Hermes Quijada International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chita Kadala), and is located 12,308 miles (19,807 kilometers) away in Chita, Russia.
• In addition to being known as "Hermes Quijada International Airport", another name for RGA is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Río Grande - Hermes Quijada".
• Hermes Quijada International Airport (RGA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Hermes Quijada International Airport's relatively low elevation of 66 feet, planes can take off or land at Hermes Quijada 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.