Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Wanaka, New Zealand:
Departure Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Arrival Airport:
(44°43'20"S by 169°14'44"E)
Distance from RCA to WKA:
8,152.96 miles (13,120.89 km)
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- WKA Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about WKA
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to WKA
- List of Nearest Airports to WKA
- Map of Furthest Airports from WKA
- List of Furthest Airports from WKA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Wanaka Airport (WKA), Wanaka, New Zealand would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,153 miles (or 13,121 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 Wanaka 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 Wanaka Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
| More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | WKA / NZWF |
| Airport Name: | Wanaka Airport |
| Location: | Wanaka, New Zealand |
| GPS Coordinates: | 44°43'20"S by 169°14'44"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Wanaka Town Board and Management Committee |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1142 feet (348 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from WKA |
| More Information: | WKA Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- 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.
- When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
- In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
- Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
- 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.
- Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
Facts about Wanaka Airport (WKA):
- The airport is the site of the biennial Warbirds over Wanaka international airshow.
- The closest airport to Wanaka Airport (WKA) is Queenstown Airport (ZQN), which is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) SW of WKA.
- The lack of a VHF omnidirectional range beacon at the airport poses an issue for some aircraft.
- Scheduled services were operated by Air New Zealand's 19 seater Beechcraft 1900D to Christchurch, this finished on 30 January 2013.
- The furthest airport from Wanaka Airport (WKA) is A Coruña Airport (LCG), which is nearly antipodal to Wanaka Airport (meaning Wanaka Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from A Coruña Airport), and is located 12,283 miles (19,768 kilometers) away in A Coruña, Spain.
- Wanaka Airport (WKA) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) S | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |     |
| 2 | 41.93 miles (67.49 km) WNW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 82.62 miles (132.96 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 90.44 miles (145.55 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 122.78 miles (197.60 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.94 miles (223.59 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 7 | 142.03 miles (228.58 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.26 miles (233.77 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 9 | 148.71 miles (239.33 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 153.78 miles (247.49 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 154.79 miles (249.12 km) SE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 159.20 miles (256.21 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 162.60 miles (261.68 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 183.63 miles (295.52 km) N | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | |
| 15 | 188.89 miles (303.99 km) SE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,579.32 miles (17,025.72 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,460.72 miles (16,834.85 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,437.71 miles (16,797.83 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,415.77 miles (16,762.51 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,301.11 miles (16,577.99 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,292.17 miles (16,563.61 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,268.77 miles (16,525.95 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,252.53 miles (16,499.80 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,244.09 miles (16,486.22 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,200.19 miles (16,415.58 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,193.03 miles (16,404.05 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,186.88 miles (16,394.16 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,186.40 miles (16,393.38 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,176.73 miles (16,377.83 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,162.30 miles (16,354.60 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 32.27 miles (51.93 km) SW | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 34.37 miles (55.31 km) S | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 65.04 miles (104.67 km) W | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 71.28 miles (114.71 km) NE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 79.37 miles (127.74 km) NE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 91.54 miles (147.32 km) ESE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 95.18 miles (153.18 km) NNE | Fox Glacier Aerodrome (FGL) | Fox Glacier, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 95.28 miles (153.34 km) SSE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 101.74 miles (163.74 km) ENE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 125.17 miles (201.43 km) SSW | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 138.22 miles (222.44 km) ENE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 160.20 miles (257.82 km) SSW | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 163.73 miles (263.50 km) NNE | Hokitika Airport (HKK) | Hokitika, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 183.94 miles (296.03 km) ENE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 184.01 miles (296.14 km) NNE | Greymouth Airport (GMN) | Greymouth, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,283.24 miles (19,767.91 km) NW | A Coruña Airport (LCG) | A Coruña, Spain | |
| 2 | 12,265.00 miles (19,738.56 km) NW | Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) | Santiago de Compostela, Spain | |
| 3 | 12,234.21 miles (19,689.01 km) NNW | Vigo Airport (VGO) | Vigo, Galicia, Spain | |
| 4 | 12,190.89 miles (19,619.29 km) NNW | Braga Airport (BGZ) | Braga, Portugal | |
| 5 | 12,189.52 miles (19,617.09 km) WNW | Asturias Airport (OVD) | Oviedo, Asturias, Spain | |
| 6 | 12,174.03 miles (19,592.16 km) NNW | Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) | Porto, Portugal | |
| 7 | 12,153.71 miles (19,559.45 km) NW | Vila Real Airport (VRL) | Vila Real, Portugal | |
| 8 | 12,152.92 miles (19,558.18 km) NW | Bragança Airport (BGC) | Bragança, Portugal | |
| 9 | 12,142.44 miles (19,541.32 km) WNW | León Airport (LEN) | León, Spain | |
| 10 | 12,100.52 miles (19,473.85 km) NNW | Coimbra Airport (CBP) | Coimbra, Portugal | |
| 11 | 12,086.60 miles (19,451.45 km) NNW | Covilhã Airport (COV) | Covilhã, Portugal | |
| 12 | 12,081.27 miles (19,442.87 km) WNW | Santander Airport (SDR) | Santander, Cantabria, Spain | |
| 13 | 12,073.95 miles (19,431.10 km) WNW | Valladolid International Airport (VLL) | Valladolid, Spain | |
| 14 | 12,064.55 miles (19,415.96 km) NW | Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM) | Salamanca, Spain | |
| 15 | 12,050.79 miles (19,393.81 km) NW | Quimper - Cornouaille Airport (UIP) | Quimper, France | |