Nonstop flight route between Bikaner, India and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB), Bikaner, India and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,442 miles (or 11,976 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 Bikaner Air Force 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 Bikaner Air Force 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 Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB):

• In addition to being known as "Bikaner Air Force Base", other names for BKB include "Nal Airport", "बीकानेर एयर फोर्स बेस" and "नाल हवाई अड्डे".
• The furthest airport from Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is nearly antipodal to Bikaner Air Force Base (meaning Bikaner Air Force Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mataveri International Airport), and is located 12,264 miles (19,737 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• The closest airport to Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB) is Jodhpur Airport (JDH), which is located 126 miles (203 kilometers) S of BKB.
• Nal Airport also known as Bikaner Air Force Station is located 13 kilometres west of Bikaner in the state of Rajasthan, India.
• Because of Bikaner Air Force Base's relatively low elevation of 750 feet, planes can take off or land at Bikaner Air Force 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.
• Bikaner Air Force Base (BKB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Bikaner Airport construction has been completed in August 2013.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• The 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• 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.