Nonstop flight route between Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK), Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,677 miles (or 2,699 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 Nantucket Memorial 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 Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK):

• In the late 1930s, a man named Holm began allowing the Town of Nantucket to use fields on his property as an airfield.
• Because of Nantucket Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 48 feet, planes can take off or land at Nantucket Memorial 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.
• Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) is Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) WNW of ACK.
• The furthest airport from Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,858 miles (19,083 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In 2009, the terminal was updated with an upgrade of the previous 12,000 square feet and an expansion of 18,000 square feet at a cost of approximately $29 million.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• 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.