Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Astana, Kazakhstan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Astana International Airport (TSE), Astana, Kazakhstan would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,853 miles (or 9,420 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 Astana International 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 Astana International 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):

• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Astana International Airport (TSE):

• Astana International Airport (TSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport traces its history to 1931 when Astana's first airfield was constructed.
• The furthest airport from Astana International Airport (TSE) is Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), which is located 10,898 miles (17,539 kilometers) away in Puerto Natales, Chile.
• The closest airport to Astana International Airport (TSE) is Sary-Arka Airport (KGF), which is located 124 miles (200 kilometers) SE of TSE.
• In addition to being known as "Astana International Airport", other names for TSE include "Халықаралық Астана Әуежайы" and "Международный аэропорт Астана".
• Currently Astana Airport accepts all types of aircraft without limitation of take-off weight.
• Astana International Airport handled 2,303,143 passengers last year.