Nonstop flight route between Île d'Yeu, France and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY), Île d'Yeu, France and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,521 miles (or 7,275 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY):

• In addition to being known as "Île d'Yeu Aerodrome", another name for IDY is "Aérodrome d'Ile d'Yeu - Grand Phare".
• Because of Île d'Yeu Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 79 feet, planes can take off or land at Île d'Yeu Aerodrome 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 Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY) is Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) NE of IDY.
• The furthest airport from Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY) is Christchurch International Airport (CHC), which is nearly antipodal to Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (meaning Île d'Yeu Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christchurch International Airport), and is located 12,104 miles (19,479 kilometers) away in Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Île d'Yeu Aerodrome (IDY) has 2 runways.

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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.