Nonstop flight route between Fort Worth, Texas, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW), Fort Worth, Texas, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 841 miles (or 1,353 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 relatively short distance between Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW):

• The closest airport to Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW) is Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (FWH), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) SW of FTW.
• Since 1953 Meacham Airport has been used for corporate aircraft, commuter flights, and student pilot training.
• Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW) has 3 runways.
• In 2001 Continental Airlines announced plans for Continental Express flights between Meacham and Houston Intercontinental Airport but this was dropped after September 11, 2001, attacks.
• The furthest airport from Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,944 miles (17,613 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Several companies operate aircraft services at the airport, including a division of the U.S.
• Because of Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport's relatively low elevation of 710 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Worth Meacham Int'l 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.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (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.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.