Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tarin Kowt Airport (TII), Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,088 miles (or 11,407 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 Tarin Kowt 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 Tarin Kowt 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 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 base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• 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.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.

Facts about Tarin Kowt Airport (TII):

• The furthest airport from Tarin Kowt Airport (TII) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,967 miles (19,258 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Tarin Kowt Airport (TII) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Tarin Kowt Airport", another name for TII is "Tarin Kowt Airport (Tarin Kowt)".
• Because of Tarin Kowt Airport's high elevation of 4,495 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at TII. Combined with a high temperature, this could make TII a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In addition to the Afghan Air Force and Afghan National Police, the U.S military and the International Security Assistance Force also have presence.
• The closest airport to Tarin Kowt Airport (TII) is Kabul International Airport (KDH), which is located 76 miles (123 kilometers) S of TII.