Nonstop flight route between Fritzlar, Hessen, Germany and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fritzlar Air Base (FRZ), Fritzlar, Hessen, Germany and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,715 miles (or 7,587 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 Fritzlar Air Base 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 Fritzlar Air Base 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 Fritzlar Air Base (FRZ):

• Because of Fritzlar Air Base's relatively low elevation of 566 feet, planes can take off or land at Fritzlar Air Base 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.
• The furthest airport from Fritzlar Air Base (FRZ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,865 miles (19,096 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Fritzlar Air Base (FRZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• After V-E Day, both groups became part of the IX Air Defense Command.
• In addition to being known as "Fritzlar Air Base", another name for FRZ is "Heeresflugplatz FritzlarAdvanced Landing Ground Y-86".
• Air force operations were phased out on 14 September 1947, and the air base was turned over to the United States Army.
• Fritzlar Air Base is a military air field of the German Army Aviation Corps.
• On 14/16 March 1939 the Staff and the first Group of the Kampfgeschwader 54 "Totenkopf" were established at Fritzlar Airfield.
• The closest airport to Fritzlar Air Base (FRZ) is Kassel Calden Airport (KSF), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) NNE of FRZ.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.
• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• 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.
• 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.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.