Nonstop flight route between Merville / Calonne, France and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Merville - Calonne Airport (HZB), Merville / Calonne, France and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,524 miles (or 7,281 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 Merville - Calonne Airport 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 Merville - Calonne Airport 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 Merville - Calonne Airport (HZB):

• Because of Merville - Calonne Airport's relatively low elevation of 61 feet, planes can take off or land at Merville - Calonne 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.
• Merville – Calonne Airport is a regional airport in France.
• Merville - Calonne Airport (HZB) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Merville - Calonne Airport (HZB) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,965 miles (19,255 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Merville - Calonne Airport (HZB) is Lille Airport (LIL), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) E of HZB.
• In addition to being known as "Merville - Calonne Airport", other names for HZB include "Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) B-53" and "Aéroport de Merville - Calonne".

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.