Nonstop flight route between Quepos, Costa Rica and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Quepos La Managua Airport (XQP), Quepos, Costa Rica and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,653 miles (or 4,269 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 Quepos La Managua 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 Quepos La Managua 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 Quepos La Managua Airport (XQP):

• Because of Quepos La Managua Airport's relatively low elevation of 85 feet, planes can take off or land at Quepos La Managua 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 Quepos La Managua Airport (XQP) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Quepos La Managua Airport (meaning Quepos La Managua Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,236 miles (19,692 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Quepos La Managua Airport (XQP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Quepos La Managua Airport (XQP) is Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ), which is located 36 miles (57 kilometers) N of XQP.

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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.