Nonstop flight route between Nouadhibou, Mauritania and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB), Nouadhibou, Mauritania and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,033 miles (or 8,099 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 Nouadhibou International 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 Nouadhibou International 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 Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB):

• The furthest airport from Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB) is Koumac Airport (KOC), which is nearly antipodal to Nouadhibou International Airport (meaning Nouadhibou International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Koumac Airport), and is located 12,349 miles (19,874 kilometers) away in Koumac, New Caledonia.
• Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Nouadhibou International Airport (NDB) is La Güera Airport (ZLG), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) SSW of NDB.
• Because of Nouadhibou International Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Nouadhibou International 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.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• 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 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.