Nonstop flight route between Bantry, County Cork, Ireland and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bantry Aerodrome (BYT), Bantry, County Cork, Ireland and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,061 miles (or 6,535 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 Bantry Aerodrome 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 Bantry Aerodrome 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 Bantry Aerodrome (BYT):

• The closest airport to Bantry Aerodrome (BYT) is Kerry Airport (KIR), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) N of BYT.
• Bantry Aerodrome (BYT) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Bantry Aerodrome (BYT) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is nearly antipodal to Bantry Aerodrome (meaning Bantry Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ryan's Creek Aerodrome), and is located 12,090 miles (19,457 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• Because of Bantry Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 7 feet, planes can take off or land at Bantry Aerodrome 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.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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 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.