Nonstop flight route between Beirut, Lebanon and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Beirut Air Base (BEY), Beirut, Lebanon and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,453 miles (or 10,385 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 Beirut Air Base 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 Beirut Air Base 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 Beirut Air Base (BEY):

• The furthest airport from Beirut Air Base (BEY) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,547 miles (18,582 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Beirut Air Base", another name for BEY is "قاعدة بيروت الجوية".
• The military base is currently the home of the Tenth Squadron and Eleventh Squadron, which operate Bell UH-1H Hueys.
• Currently, the Lebanese Air Force occupies part of the west end of the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport and has been the base of most of the helicopter force for almost 50 years, which include the Hawker Hunters, Fouga Magisters and other aircraft during certain periods.
• The closest airport to Beirut Air Base (BEY) is Kiryat Shmona Airport (KSW), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) S of BEY.
• Beirut Air Base (BEY) has 2 runways.
• Beirut Air Base is a military base owned by the Lebanese Armed Forces and operated by the Lebanese Air Force.
• Because of Beirut Air Base's relatively low elevation of 87 feet, planes can take off or land at Beirut Air Base 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):

• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.