Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Valle de la Pascua, Guárico, Venezuela:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Valle de la Pascua Airport (VDP), Valle de la Pascua, Guárico, Venezuela would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,276 miles (or 5,272 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 Valle de la Pascua 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 Valle de la Pascua 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 deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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 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 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.

Facts about Valle de la Pascua Airport (VDP):

• The furthest airport from Valle de la Pascua Airport (VDP) is Blimbingsari Airport (BWX), which is nearly antipodal to Valle de la Pascua Airport (meaning Valle de la Pascua Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Blimbingsari Airport), and is located 12,370 miles (19,907 kilometers) away in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Java Island, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Valle de la Pascua Airport (VDP) is Calabozo Airport (CLZ), which is located 99 miles (160 kilometers) WSW of VDP.
• Because of Valle de la Pascua Airport's relatively low elevation of 410 feet, planes can take off or land at Valle de la Pascua 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.
• Valle de la Pascua Airport (VDP) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Valle de la Pascua Airport", another name for VDP is "Valle de la Pascua".