Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Turku, Finland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Turku Airport (TKU), Turku, Finland would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,581 miles (or 7,372 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 Turku 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 Turku 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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 Turku Airport (TKU):

• Turku Airport handled 454,948 passengers last year.
• Logicity was at first a project of Pilot Turku Ltd but now operated by Turku Municipal Property Corporation after the contract with Pilot Turku Ltd ended 2010.
• Turku Airport (TKU) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Turku Airport", another name for TKU is "Turun lentoasemaÅbo flygplats".
• The furthest airport from Turku Airport (TKU) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,047 miles (17,778 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Turku Airport's relatively low elevation of 161 feet, planes can take off or land at Turku 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.
• The closest airport to Turku Airport (TKU) is Pori Airport (POR), which is located 67 miles (108 kilometers) NNW of TKU.