Nonstop flight route between Aitape, Papua New Guinea and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:
Departure Airport:
(3°11'56"S by 142°25'41"E)
Arrival Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Distance from TAJ to RCA:
7,574.67 miles (12,190.22 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- TAJ Airport Information
- RCA Airport Information
- Facts about TAJ
- Facts about RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to TAJ
- List of Nearest Airports to TAJ
- Map of Furthest Airports from TAJ
- List of Furthest Airports from TAJ
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Tadji Airport (TAJ), Aitape, Papua New Guinea and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,575 miles (or 12,190 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 Tadji 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 Tadji 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | TAJ / |
| Airport Name: | Tadji Airport |
| Location: | Aitape, Papua New Guinea |
| GPS Coordinates: | 3°11'56"S by 142°25'41"E |
| Elevation: | 16 feet (5 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from TAJ |
| More Information: | TAJ Maps & Info |
Arrival 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 |
Facts about Tadji Airport (TAJ):
- Because of Tadji Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Tadji 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 Tadji Airport (TAJ) is Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (FOR), which is located 11,950 miles (19,232 kilometers) away in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
- Tadji Airport (TAJ) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Tadji Airport (TAJ) is Frieda River Airport (FAQ), which is located 103 miles (165 kilometers) SSW of TAJ.
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.
- 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.
- Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
- 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.
- 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.
- Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
- The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 102.62 miles (165.16 km) SSW | Frieda River Airport (FAQ) | Frieda River, Papua New Guinea |     |
| 2 | 138.77 miles (223.34 km) WNW | Sentani Airport (SNA) (DJJ) | Jayapura, Indonesia | |
| 3 | 167.57 miles (269.67 km) SSW | Biangabip Airport (BPK) | Biangabip, Papua New Guinea | |
| 4 | 186.43 miles (300.03 km) SE | Sangapi Airport (SGK) | Sangapi, Papua New Guinea | |
| 5 | 205.20 miles (330.23 km) WNW | Batom Airport (BXM) | Batom, Indonesia | |
| 6 | 207.90 miles (334.59 km) SE | Aiome Airport (AIE) | Aiome, Papua New Guinea | |
| 7 | 218.23 miles (351.21 km) SSW | Atkamba Airport (ABP) | Atkamba, Papua New Guinea | |
| 8 | 220.16 miles (354.31 km) WSW | Apalapsili Airport (AAS) | Apalapsili, Indonesia | |
| 9 | 220.61 miles (355.04 km) SSE | Mendi Airport (MDU) | Mendi, Papua New Guinea | |
| 10 | 222.51 miles (358.09 km) SE | Mount Hagen Airport (HGU) | Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea | |
| 11 | 225.63 miles (363.11 km) SSE | Moro Airport (MXH) | Moro, Papua New Guinea | |
| 12 | 262.19 miles (421.96 km) SE | Chimbu Airport (CMU) | Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea | |
| 13 | 263.02 miles (423.29 km) W | Bokondini Airport (BUI) | Bokondini, Indonesia | |
| 14 | 269.66 miles (433.97 km) ESE | Madang Airport (MAG) | Madang, Papua New Guinea | |
| 15 | 271.02 miles (436.16 km) SSW | Lake Murray Airport (LMY) | Lake Murray, Papua New Guinea | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,950.34 miles (19,232.16 km) S | Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (FOR) | Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil | |
| 2 | 11,927.26 miles (19,195.01 km) NE | Parnaíba–Prefeito Dr. João Silva Filho International Airport (PHB) | Parnaiba, Piaui, Brazil | |
| 3 | 11,889.09 miles (19,133.59 km) NE | Barreirinhas Airport (BRB) | Barreirinhas, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 4 | 11,856.59 miles (19,081.29 km) S | Gov. Dix-Sept Rosado Airport (MVF) | Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil | |
| 5 | 11,833.76 miles (19,044.55 km) SW | Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN) | Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil | |
| 6 | 11,827.16 miles (19,033.92 km) NE | Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (Tirirical) (SLZ) | São Luís, Brazil | |
| 7 | 11,787.46 miles (18,970.02 km) SSW | Augusto Severo International Airport (NAT) | Natal, Brazil | |
| 8 | 11,760.68 miles (18,926.94 km) SSE | Teresina–Senador Petrônio Portella Airport (THE) | Teresina, Piauí, Brazil | |
| 9 | 11,704.34 miles (18,836.26 km) S | Presidente João Suassuna Airport (CPV) | Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil | |
| 10 | 11,699.51 miles (18,828.48 km) SSW | Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (JPA) | João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil | |
| 11 | 11,633.28 miles (18,721.90 km) SSW | Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC) | Recife, Brazil | |
| 12 | 11,619.61 miles (18,699.91 km) ENE | Belém/Val de Cans–Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport (BEL) | Belém, Pará, Brazil | |
| 13 | 11,549.61 miles (18,587.25 km) S | Maceió/Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport (MCZ) | Maceió, Brazil | |
| 14 | 11,543.90 miles (18,578.06 km) SSE | Petrolina–Senador Nilo Coelho Airport (PNZ) | Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil | |
| 15 | 11,526.13 miles (18,549.46 km) SE | Imperatriz-Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport (IMP) | Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil | |
| 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 | |