Nonstop flight route between Gadsden, Alabama, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GAD to RCA:
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- About this route
- GAD Airport Information
- RCA Airport Information
- Facts about GAD
- Facts about RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to GAD
- List of Nearest Airports to GAD
- Map of Furthest Airports from GAD
- List of Furthest Airports from GAD
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD), Gadsden, Alabama, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,147 miles (or 1,846 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 Northeast Alabama Regional Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GAD / KGAD |
Airport Name: | Northeast Alabama Regional Airport |
Location: | Gadsden, Alabama, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°58'22"N by 86°5'21"W |
Area Served: | Gadsden, Alabama |
Operator/Owner: | Gadsden Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 569 feet (173 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from GAD |
More Information: | GAD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Facts about Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD):
- The furthest airport from Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,225 miles (18,064 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD) has 2 runways.
- Because of Northeast Alabama Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 569 feet, planes can take off or land at Northeast Alabama Regional 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 closest airport to Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD) is Talladega Municipal Airport (ASN), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) S of GAD.
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
- 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.
- An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
- 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.
- 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.
- On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
- 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.