Nonstop flight route between Willow, Alaska, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Willow Airport (WOW), Willow, Alaska, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,232 miles (or 3,592 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 relatively short distance between Willow Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Willow Airport (WOW):

• In addition to being known as "Willow Airport", another name for WOW is "UUO".
• As per Federal Aviation Administration records, Willow Airport had 2,703 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, an increase of 33% from the 2,025 enplanements in 2007.
• Willow Airport (WOW) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Willow Airport (WOW) is Big Lake Airport (BGQ), which is located only 17 miles (27 kilometers) SSE of WOW.
• Because of Willow Airport's relatively low elevation of 221 feet, planes can take off or land at Willow 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 Willow Airport (WOW) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,509 miles (16,912 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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 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.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.