Nonstop flight route between Bakersfield, California, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from BFL to RCA:
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- About this route
- BFL Airport Information
- RCA Airport Information
- Facts about BFL
- Facts about RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to BFL
- List of Nearest Airports to BFL
- Map of Furthest Airports from BFL
- List of Furthest Airports from BFL
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Meadows Field (BFL), Bakersfield, California, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,037 miles (or 1,670 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 Meadows Field and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BFL / KBFL |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Bakersfield, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°26'2"N by 119°3'28"W |
Area Served: | Greater Bakersfield metropolitan area |
Operator/Owner: | Kern County |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 510 feet (155 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from BFL |
More Information: | BFL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
Airport Names: |
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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 |
Facts about Meadows Field (BFL):
- Public transportation to the airport is provided exclusively by Golden Empire Transit.
- The furthest airport from Meadows Field (BFL) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,406 miles (18,356 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- Meadows Field (BFL) has 2 runways.
- Aviation has been linked to Kern County almost as long as the existence of the industry.
- Bakersfield then had two airfields.
- Service was expensive compared to nearby airports, and normally ran during inconvenient times.
- In addition to being known as "Meadows Field", another name for BFL is "Kern County Airport No. 1".
- Because of Meadows Field's relatively low elevation of 510 feet, planes can take off or land at Meadows Field 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.
- In December 1944 the 481st NFOTG was inactivated as part of an AAF reorganization.
- The closest airport to Meadows Field (BFL) is Shafter Airport (MIT), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) WNW of BFL.
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
- On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.