Nonstop flight route between Weihai, Shandong, China and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH), Weihai, Shandong, China and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,144 miles (or 9,887 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 Weihai Dashuibo 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 Weihai Dashuibo 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 Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH):

• The airport is located in Dashuibo Town, part of Wendeng City under the administration of Weihai.
• Because of Weihai Dashuibo Airport's relatively low elevation of 144 feet, planes can take off or land at Weihai Dashuibo 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 closest airport to Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH) is Yantai Laishan International Airport (YNT), which is located 49 miles (79 kilometers) WNW of WEH.
• At the end of year 2003, focusing on the development of ports open and the protection of the international flights, the government decided to conduct a comprehensive renovation and expansion, the airport renovation project was completed in July 2005.
• Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH) currently has only 1 runway.
• Weihai Dashuibo Airport handled 935,450 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Weihai Dashuibo Airport (WEH) is Villa Gesell Airport (VLG), which is nearly antipodal to Weihai Dashuibo Airport (meaning Weihai Dashuibo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Villa Gesell Airport), and is located 12,396 miles (19,949 kilometers) away in Villa Gesell, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• In addition to being known as "Weihai Dashuibo Airport", other names for WEH include "威海大水泊机场" and "Wēihǎi Dàshuǐbó Jīchǎng".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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".
• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• 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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.