Nonstop flight route between Bologna, Italy and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ), Bologna, Italy and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,105 miles (or 8,216 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 Bologna Guglielmo Marconi 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 Bologna Guglielmo Marconi 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 Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ):

• The closest airport to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is Forlì Airport (FRL), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) ESE of BLQ.
• Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport handled 6,193,783 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (meaning Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,050 miles (19,392 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport's relatively low elevation of 123 feet, planes can take off or land at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi 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.
• In addition to being known as "Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport", another name for BLQ is "Aeroporto di Bologna-Guglielmo Marconi".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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.
• 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 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.