Nonstop flight route between Helena / West Helena, Arkansas, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE), Helena / West Helena, Arkansas, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 934 miles (or 1,503 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 Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield 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 Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE):

• The furthest airport from Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,968 miles (17,651 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The airfield was operated under contract to USAAF by Aero-Tech providing basic flight instruction to aviation cadets.
• Because of Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 242 feet, planes can take off or land at Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield 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 Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE) is Tunica Municipal Airport (UTM), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) ENE of HEE.
• Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE) has 2 runways.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• 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 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.
• 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 mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.