Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Þórshöfn, Iceland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Þórshöfn Airport (THO), Þórshöfn, Iceland would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,424 miles (or 5,510 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 Þórshöfn 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 Þórshöfn 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 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.

Facts about Þórshöfn Airport (THO):

• In addition to being known as "Þórshöfn Airport", another name for THO is "Þórshafnarflugvöllur".
• The furthest airport from Þórshöfn Airport (THO) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,096 miles (17,857 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Þórshöfn Airport (THO) is Vopnafjörður Airport (VPN), which is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) SSE of THO.
• Because of Þórshöfn Airport's relatively low elevation of 64 feet, planes can take off or land at Þórshöfn 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.
• Þórshöfn Airport (THO) currently has only 1 runway.