Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Island, Russia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (UUS), Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Island, Russia would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,981 miles (or 8,017 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 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.

Facts about Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (UUS):

• In addition to being known as "Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport", another name for UUS is "Аэропорт Южно-Сахалинск".
• Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (UUS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport's relatively low elevation of 59 feet, planes can take off or land at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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 furthest airport from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (UUS) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is located 11,459 miles (18,442 kilometers) away in Stanley, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom.
• The closest airport to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (UUS) is Wakkanai Airport (WKJ), which is located 111 miles (179 kilometers) SSW of UUS.