Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Alotau, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from RCA to GUR:
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- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- GUR Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about GUR
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GUR
- List of Nearest Airports to GUR
- Map of Furthest Airports from GUR
- List of Furthest Airports from GUR
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Gurney Airport (GUR), Alotau, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,534 miles (or 12,125 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base and Gurney Airport, 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base and Gurney Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure 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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GUR / AYGN |
Airport Name: | Gurney Airport |
Location: | Alotau, Papua New Guinea |
GPS Coordinates: | 10°18'41"S by 150°20'0"E |
Area Served: | Alotau, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea |
Operator/Owner: | Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 89 feet (27 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from GUR |
More Information: | GUR Maps & Info |
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 was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
- 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.
- Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
- 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.
- 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".
Facts about Gurney Airport (GUR):
- The furthest airport from Gurney Airport (GUR) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,966 miles (19,257 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
- Gurney Airport (GUR) currently has only 1 runway.
- The airport is a single runway general aviation facility, however in December, 2008, the PNG Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Don Polye announced that aviation company Skyworld had been granted permission to operate direct flights from Cairns, Australia to Gurney.
- Built by the US Army 96th Engineer General Service Regiment, Company E of 46th Engineer General Service Regiment and No.
- The closest airport to Gurney Airport (GUR) is Vivigani Airport (VIV), which is located 69 miles (112 kilometers) N of GUR.
- Because of Gurney Airport's relatively low elevation of 89 feet, planes can take off or land at Gurney 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.