Nonstop flight route between Joplin, Missouri, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Joplin Regional Airport (JLN), Joplin, Missouri, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 659 miles (or 1,061 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 Joplin 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:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Joplin Regional Airport (JLN):

• Joplin Regional Airport (JLN) has 3 runways.
• In 2007 Great Lakes Airlines began EAS-subsidised service to Kansas City International Airport after the end of commercial service by Mesa Airlines.
• The fixed based operators at Joplin Regional Airport are Alpha Air Center and Mizzou Aviation, both located near the General Aviation terminal.
• The furthest airport from Joplin Regional Airport (JLN) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,765 miles (17,324 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Joplin Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 981 feet, planes can take off or land at Joplin 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 Joplin Regional Airport (JLN) is Atkinson Municipal Airport (PTS), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) NNW of JLN.

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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• The 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• 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 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.
• 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".
• 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.