Nonstop flight route between Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF), Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,179 miles (or 6,725 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 Barrow/Walney Island 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 Barrow/Walney Island 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 Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF):

• Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF) has 2 runways.
• Barrow/Walney Island Airport was opened during World War II, though the site had been used as an airship station since World War I.
• Because of Barrow/Walney Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 44 feet, planes can take off or land at Barrow/Walney Island 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 2005, an airshow was held at the site.
• BAE Systems operates flights to various UK destinations during the week, using three Beechcraft King Air B200 aircraft.
• The closest airport to Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF) is Blackpool International Airport (BLK), which is located 27 miles (43 kilometers) SSE of BWF.
• The furthest airport from Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,811 miles (19,007 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• 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.