Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tirupati Airport (TIR), Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,441 miles (or 13,585 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 Tirupati 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 Tirupati 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 activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Tirupati Airport (TIR):

• The Prime Minister of India Shri Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for Tirupati International Airport on September 1, 2010
• In addition to being known as "Tirupati Airport", another name for TIR is "తిరుపతి విమానాశ్రయము".
• Tirupati Airport (TIR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Tirupati Airport (TIR) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,337 miles (18,246 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• తిరుపతి విమానాశ్రయము
• The closest airport to Tirupati Airport (TIR) is Chennai International Airport (MAA), which is located 61 miles (99 kilometers) SE of TIR.
• Because of Tirupati Airport's relatively low elevation of 350 feet, planes can take off or land at Tirupati 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.
• On 8 October 2008, the Government of India announced that it will upgrade Tirupati Airport providing wider choices of air travel.