Nonstop flight route between Farnborough, United Kingdom and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Farnborough Airport (FAB), Farnborough, United Kingdom and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,380 miles (or 7,050 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 Farnborough 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 Farnborough 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 Farnborough Airport (FAB):

• The closest airport to Farnborough Airport (FAB) is Blackbushe Airport (BBS), which is located only 5 miles (7 kilometers) NW of FAB.
• In addition to being known as "Farnborough Airport", another name for FAB is "TAG London Farnborough Airport".
• The furthest airport from Farnborough Airport (FAB) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,884 miles (19,125 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• Farnborough Airport (FAB) currently has only 1 runway.
• Farnborough Airport has a long history, beginning at the start of the 20th century with the creation of His Majesty's Balloon Factory and the first powered flight in Britain in 1908.
• To promote a closer working relationship with local enthusiasts, Hampshire Police has established an Aviation/Airport Watch Scheme.
• The airport was originally restricted to 28,000 movements each year, of which no more than 2,500 were permitted at weekends.
• Farnborough Airfield appeared in the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace, as the Austrian airport from which Bond flies.
• Because of Farnborough Airport's relatively low elevation of 238 feet, planes can take off or land at Farnborough 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.
• Farnborough Airport sees the bulk of its traffic from conventional business jets, such as the Cessna Citation, the Gulfstream, the Dassault Falcon, the Learjet, the Bombardier Challenger, the Bombardier Global 5000, the Bombardier Global XRS and the BAe 125.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.