Nonstop flight route between Biarritz, France and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport (BIQ), Biarritz, France and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,697 miles (or 7,559 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 Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport 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 Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport 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 Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport (BIQ):

• In addition to being known as "Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport", another name for BIQ is "Aéroport de Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne".
• Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport (BIQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport's relatively low elevation of 245 feet, planes can take off or land at Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne 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.
• The closest airport to Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport (BIQ) is San Sebastián Airport (EAS), which is located only 15 miles (25 kilometers) WSW of BIQ.
• The furthest airport from Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport (BIQ) is Hood Aerodrome (MRO), which is nearly antipodal to Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport (meaning Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hood Aerodrome), and is located 12,211 miles (19,652 kilometers) away in Masterton, New Zealand.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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 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.
• 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 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.