Nonstop flight route between Châteauroux / Déols, France and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR), Châteauroux / Déols, France and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,663 miles (or 7,504 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 Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" 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 Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" 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 Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR):

• Because of Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport's relatively low elevation of 529 feet, planes can take off or land at Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" 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.
• Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport", another name for CHR is "Aéroport de Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault"".
• The airport supports aviation industry uses including cargo, pilot training, airports firemans training, aircraft maintenance, storage and dismantling.
• The closest airport to Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR) is Bourges Airport (BOU), which is located 34 miles (54 kilometers) ENE of CHR.
• The furthest airport from Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (meaning Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,208 miles (19,647 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

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.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.