Nonstop flight route between Warsaw, Poland and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW), Warsaw, Poland and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,997 miles (or 8,042 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 Warsaw Chopin 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 Warsaw Chopin 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 Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW):

• Passenger traffic at Warsaw Chopin Airport has increased dramatically since the fall of communism in Poland and the removal of restrictions on Polish citizens' travel abroad.
• Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Warsaw Chopin Airport", another name for WAW is "Lotnisko Chopina w Warszawie".
• During World War II, Okęcie was often used as a battleground between the German Army and Polish resistance and was almost completely destroyed.
• Because of Warsaw Chopin Airport's relatively low elevation of 361 feet, planes can take off or land at Warsaw Chopin 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.
• After the war, LOT Polish Airlines resumed operations at Okęcie using what was left of the pre-war infrastructure.
• Warsaw Chopin Airport handled 10,683,706 passengers last year.
• The new civil aviation authority began to exercise control over airports, air corridors and routing, ground aviation infrastructure and the responsibility for entering into and signing aviation accords with other states.
• Between 20:00 and 04:00 hours, Runway 15/33 is used, weather and technical considerations permitting.
• The furthest airport from Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,450 miles (18,426 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) is Historic Centre of Warsaw (WRW), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NNE of WAW.
• In 1924, when urban development around Warsaw's aerodrome at Mokotów Fields began affecting air traffic, the Ministry of Railways purchased land near the village of Okęcie to construct a new airport.

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.
• The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.