Nonstop flight route between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,780 miles (or 2,865 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 Lauderdale Executive 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 Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE):

• The closest airport to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) is Pompano Beach Airpark (PPM), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NE of FXE.
• The airport is home to two rare Florida native species of animal, the Gopher Tortoise and the Florida Burrowing Owl.
• Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) has 2 runways.
• Because of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 13 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Lauderdale Executive 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.
• The furthest airport from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,584 miles (18,642 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airport was built in 1941 to train Naval Aviators during World War II, and named West Prospect Satellite Field.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• 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.