Nonstop flight route between Siena, Italy and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY), Siena, Italy and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,169 miles (or 8,319 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 Siena-Ampugnano Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, 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 Siena-Ampugnano Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base. 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 Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY):

• During World War II, the facility was known as Malignano Airfield.
• The airport resides at an elevation of 634 feet above mean sea level.
• Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY) currently has only 1 runway.
• Siena-Ampugnano Airport handled 3,745 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Siena-Ampugnano Airport (meaning Siena-Ampugnano Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,049 miles (19,391 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Siena-Ampugnano Airport's relatively low elevation of 634 feet, planes can take off or land at Siena-Ampugnano 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.
• In addition to being known as "Siena-Ampugnano Airport", other names for SAY include "Aeroporto di Siena-Ampugnano" and "Siena-Ampugnano".
• The closest airport to Siena-Ampugnano Airport (SAY) is Grosseto Airport (GRS), which is located 36 miles (57 kilometers) SSW of SAY.

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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In March 1994, Ellsworth welcomed the 34th Bomb Squadron, a geographically separated unit that was awaiting airfield upgrades before it could return to its parent organization, the 366th Wing, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.