Nonstop flight route between Austin, Texas, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,008 miles (or 1,623 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 Austin–Bergstrom International 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 Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS):

• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,050 miles (17,783 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The first officially sanctioned landing field in Austin was Penn Field.
• The closest airport to Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is Austin Executive Airport (EDC), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) NNE of AUS.
• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport opened to the public on May 23, 1999 with a 12,250 feet runway, among the nation's longest commercial runways.
• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport handled 10,017,958 passengers last year.
• Runway 17L/35R is a new 9,000 foot runway on the east side of the terminal and parallel with runway 17R/35L.
• Because of Austin–Bergstrom International Airport's relatively low elevation of 542 feet, planes can take off or land at Austin–Bergstrom International 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.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.