Nonstop flight route between Noorvik, Alaska, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport (ORV), Noorvik, Alaska, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,612 miles (or 4,203 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 Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial 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 Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial 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 Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport (ORV):

• Because of Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 55 feet, planes can take off or land at Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial 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 Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport (ORV) is Bob Baker Memorial Airport (IAN), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NE of ORV.
• Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport (ORV) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport (ORV) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,251 miles (16,497 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• In addition to being known as "Robert (Bob) Curtis Memorial Airport", another name for ORV is "D76".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.