Nonstop flight route between Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 657 miles (or 1,057 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 Albuquerque International Sunport 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 Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ):

• Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) has 4 runways.
• Albuquerque International Sunport handled 5,801,641 passengers last year.
• In addition to being known as "Albuquerque International Sunport", another name for ABQ is "Albuquerque".
• Albuquerque in the 1930s was served by two private airports, West Mesa Airport and Oxnard Field.
• Because of Albuquerque International Sunport's high elevation of 5,355 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ABQ. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ABQ a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The airport's freight center moved 67,000 tons of cargo in 2008.
• The closest airport to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), which is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) NE of ABQ.
• A major new part of Albuquerque called Mesa del Sol is being developed 5 miles south of Albuquerque International Sunport and is planned to house 100,000 inhabitants by 2055.
• The furthest airport from Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,217 miles (18,051 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• The 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.