Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tom Price, Western Australia, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tom Price Airport (TPR), Tom Price, Western Australia, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,692 miles (or 15,598 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 Tom Price 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 Tom Price 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):

• 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 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.
• 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".
• 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 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.

Facts about Tom Price Airport (TPR):

• The strategic location of the planned airport has been chosen also to handle the expansions at the Brockman minesite, by Pilbara Iron.
• The furthest airport from Tom Price Airport (TPR) is Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA), which is nearly antipodal to Tom Price Airport (meaning Tom Price Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport), and is located 12,117 miles (19,501 kilometers) away in The Valley, Anguilla.
• The closest airport to Tom Price Airport (TPR) is Paraburdoo Airport (PBO), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) SSW of TPR.
• Tom Price Airport (TPR) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Tom Price Airport", another name for TPR is "YTMP".
• However, on 16 January 2009, suffering the effects of lower demand and ore prices as a result of the global financial crisis, these plans were scrapped as Rio's capital expenditure program was cut.